Sailing Movie: Wild Eyes: the Abby Sunderland story

[1st Sail]

Wild Eyes is on Netflix. Just started watching. Unbelievable the technical and mechanical failures they had. Not sure I could ever allow one of my kids to take that level of risk.

[81venture]

I was more amazed at the amount of $$ she had at her disposal....the gear on that boat, and the boat itself was worth more than ALL that I own in this world exceptin the admiral maybe

and I cried (for the boat) when she just abandoned it in the ocean

[Freedom77]

Saw "Wild Eyes" recently. She's lucky to be alive. When I was 16 I was just surfing in So. Cal. which is all the danger I needed. As mentioned, where did all the freakin' money come from. Does anyone know if the boat was salvaged or just left adrift? Fair Winds and Full Sails...Old salt.

[1st Sail]

It seems it was all the hitech that failed the voyage. Early on they struggled with integration and reliability. There were numerous auto helm failures that put her behind schedule. At one point she was sleep deprived and exhausted due to auto helm failure. I would think a wind vane auto helm back up would have provided an extra margin of safety. Perhaps the boat design prevented its use. In the end it was a low tech failure of the main sail and rogue wave that failed the voyage. However the hitech EPIRB saved her life and thankfully so.

[yukonbob]

If I had the money available to me at that age I would have been all over that. Instead at the age of 14 I bought a sleeping bag, pack and tarp and went and slept witht the bears on the west coast of BC all over the Yukon and Alaska mostly solo. As for the alternative would it be better she stayed home like most normal kids and get into drugs, pregnancy, cyber bulling, suicide, (the newest fad is kids burning themselves with aerosol sprays) ect? I only hope my kid(s) have the tenacity dedication and motivation to take on half that challenge at that age or any age.

[Catigale]

This was an ill-planned publicity stunt using the wrong equipment entering one of the most dangerous seas off sailing season with a predictable result.

Jessica Watson's trip earlier, in contrast, showed seamanship and respect for the ocean and turned out with a predictable positive result .

[kadet]

However the hitech EPIRB saved her life and thankfully so.

Nothing to do with the Australian Maritime Safety Authority that chartered a Qantas Airbus A330 to coordinate the search or the Western Australian Fire Emergency and Safety Authority and the French Commercial fishing boat that almost lost their captain in the rescue attempt.

This incident and some other similar ones caused the French to propose a law whereby people who "ventured knowingly and without 'legitimate motive' into risky territory" be liable for their rescue costs.

I am no fan of Jessica Watson either though the end result was better, she could easily have been in the same situation in the Southern Atlantic after several knock-downs. Children risking their lives for publicity and commercial gain just reeks of child exploitation. What's next?
The youngest person to win a formula one race?
The youngest person to base jump off Mount Everest?
The youngest person to wrestle a tiger?

A 16 year old cannot make the necessary assessment as to their mortality as they think at that age they are indestructible. This is why most civilised societies have laws that prohibit certain acts till a certain age and laws that protect children from exploitation. Sadly the high seas seem to be exempt.

[Whipsyjac]

Kadet, how about Jesse Martin. I read his book Lionheart and although he's blowing his own horn it seemed like a reasonable undertaking for him. Is that the difference 1 or 2 extra years makes? Some serious young Aussie explorers there, by the time Jesse started another young Aussie finished so Jesse knew he wouldn't get every record. He did an antipodal circumnavigation and I believe he was the youngest to do so. Unfortunately by playing it safe with weather and more than a few calms he had a very long trip.

Willy

[yukonbob]

A 16 year old cannot make the necessary assessment as to their mortality as they think at that age they are indestructible.

So what you're saying is that children should have enough freedom to be themselves - once they've learned the rules?

-Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen.-A.E.

-As long as any adult thinks that he, like their parents and teachers of old, can become introspective, invoking his own youth to understand the youth before him, he is lost. -M.M.

-Healthy children will not fear life if their elders have integrity enough not to fear death.-E.E.

I do not agree with what you have to say, but defend your right to say it. Freedom of speech includes the freedom to offend people. I believe in freedom of expression, doing what you believe in, and going after your dreams, the power to live as you wish unobstructed in living your life as you choose, freedom to be stupid, freedom to fail, freedom to succeed, anything less is oppression. What is worrying is the ease with which some people go from saying that they don't like something to saying that the government should forbid it.

-We are willing enough to praise freedom when she is safely tucked away in the past and cannot be a nuisance. In the present, amidst dangers whose outcome we cannot foresee, we get nervous about her, and admit censorship.-E.M.F

[topcat0399]

This was an ill-planned publicity stunt using the wrong equipment entering one of the most dangerous seas off sailing season with a predictable result.

Jessica Watson's trip earlier, in contrast, showed seamanship and respect for the ocean and turned out with a predictable positive result .

At the time it was going on I felt exactly the same way. Still do.

I always think about the cost of rescue for foolhardy adventure.
If the rescue is tax payer funded I have a problem with it.

I'm glad she survived. I probably won't watch the movie.

[bahama bound]

We watched it last night I just couldn't believe how calm she was.? There is also another movie called.maiden trip about a 14 year old girl that I think makes it ?

[DaveB]

There is a lot more than the Netflix, watched her Blog and others at 16 years of age who do not belong in open seas to do the globe. I been there in 40 ft. seas on my 35fter that was built to go anyware. I did the 40 ft. seas for 3 days and humans are total worn out as fatuige builds in.
No one nows how this feels unless you experance it.
Like hull and there is no way out of it except your detirmanation to survive.
You are on your own 1000 miles from any coast. You Grin and Bear and give everything you have to survive.
You just want it to go away, you have only the means at your hands and mind under very stressful conditions for days.
I been there and never want to do it again.
I am very lucky to survive 40 ft. seas for 3 days to St. Thomas. My boat was setup to cruise the World. I made the Beaufort NC to St Thomas in under 10 days for the 1600 mile DR trip. 1250 miles on rub line.
I am concerned about the Mac's doing the Bahamas, tho many have done it. Gulf Stream can change with weather patterns quickly.
Stay Safe and look for long windows crossing and comeing back as I know few are doing it shortly.

One last note, I would never do the Bahamas in my MacX boat. Just boat is to weak to handle the heavy stuff. Just my personal opion.
Dave

Wild Eyes is on Netflix. Just started watching. Unbelievable the technical and mechanical failures they had. Not sure I could ever allow one of my kids to take that level of risk.

[kadet]

I do not agree with what you have to say, but defend your right to say it. Freedom of speech includes the freedom to offend people. I believe in freedom of expression, doing what you believe in, and going after your dreams, the power to live as you wish unobstructed in living your life as you choose, freedom to be stupid, freedom to fail, freedom to succeed, anything less is oppression. What is worrying is the ease with which some people go from saying that they don't like something to saying that the government should forbid it.

Ditto your rights to your opinion but are you saying a child should have the freedom to drink? take drugs? ride their skate board on a freeway? do anything they or their parents desire. As in this case endanger the life of a French Fisherman? What of his freedom to earn an income unimpeded and unmolested?

A social order based on freedom is characterised by a finite set of permissions granted to individuals by the authorities. A community order based on absolute freedom is anarchy where free people can make of what they want and are simply left alone in a stateless existence. Social freedom belongs to a framework where the “state organises a nation, but leaves the individual adequate freedom to enjoy liberty.

“There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences.” PJ O’rourke

I don't need to say for the government to forbid it because the laws are already there in almost every civilised society. Children are called children for a reason and when parents fail in their duty of care this is the reason the courts and the law exists. If this is different in the Yukon then good for you.

Jesse Martin

was 17 and under Australian Law in most States as it stood in 1981 was no longer a child (now 18). Whether he was up to the task or not was then his decision alone to make.

There is also another movie called.maiden trip about a 14 year old girl that I think makes it ?

Laura Dekker, this is another one that annoyes me a Dutch/New Zealand teen making a circumnavigation solo with stops. She is stopped by the Dutch courts because she is to young to hold the required Dutch captains licence so departs from Gibraltar after sailing there with her father after a long passage she eventually arrives in Australian/Queensland waters at age 15 which is below the age (16) a person is required to be to navigate a vessel solo in Queensland Waters with an engine fitted greater than 6hp (her boat was fitted with both a 10hp and 38hp). She was never prosecuted and had her 16th Birthday in Darwin. At least this was a world tour following the tropical route not an extreme non stop solo adventure and she was a very experienced sailor that had spent her whole life on a yacht with her family. But still shows no respect for other counties laws.

This is not just about sailing anymore so will leave the philosophy for another day in another place.
Agree to disagree.

[C Striker]

I forget how to quote

Ditto with Dave B. I bought my M to go to the Bahamas, and sold it when I knew it would be 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration. Once my ancient cat kicks the bucket the ex-admiral and myself will fly over and rent a boat if we feel the need to further explore. One thing for sure, I won't have a care in the world.

It takes a special sort of captain to spend all that time on a mac in salt water. For me, stress free is the way to be!

Erik

[yukonbob]

The entire premise of this argument is based on the assumption that these children are being exploited. Free will gave that french fisherman the ability to choose what extent he would help in the rescue, and in doing so he accepted the duty to take on the consequences of his actions. It is also true that most of our societies do not embody freedom in anyway shape or form in modern times, and in no way should one persons personal freedom affect any others, but to what extent should we limit personal rights and freedoms based on the opinion of others?
What do we define as civilized? I guess Germany where the legal age to purchase alcohol is 16 and drinking age with an adult is 14, guess they're uncivilized? The same could be said about Canada and Australia compared to the US. This is a very fine line to walk in an arguably grey area. Where do we draw these lines and who decides where to draw them , maybe we need to reconsider how we distribute freedom based upon age, gender, sexual preference or even race?

If you want total security, go to prison. There you're fed, clothed, given medical care and so on. The only thing lacking... is freedom.-D.D.E.