>>>>http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2010/06/10/teen-sailor-missing-at-sea/?hpt=T2
>>>>
>>>>This is no surprise to me at all - I sort of figured this was going to happen to her. Not sure how I feel about the parents letting her do it either.
>>>
>>>The parents helping/pushing her to do it.
>>>
>>>If the parents weren't behind it, she wouldn't have more than a piece of scrap wood for a boat.
>>>
>>>They may still get a reality TV show out of it - just w/o the daughter (maybe they can search for her - what a plot!).
>>
>>Well I guess my question was more along the lines of how responsible is it for parents to allow a 16 year old girl to attempt to sail a boat solo around the world? If the parents weren't behind it - then ya she wouldn't have the resources (ie, the boat) to attempt it. Then I suppose there is always the possibility that seeing how they are PARENTS that they could actually say 'no' and not allow her to do it.
>>I admit some people are thrill seekers & I find nothing wrong with that - but coooome on - if she wants to try something like that & you think she has the skills to do it - then fine - send her with some adults along with her - not by herself...duuuh!
>
>16 year olds aren't all the same. There's no magic point at which you suddenly can do something like that.
>
>If she felt she was up to it and her parents agreed then I see no problem.

I suppose I see your point....16 is a lot different than 12....but then again look at what's happened - she's lost and probably dead - so perhaps she wasn't really up to it. And how much skills and experience sailing can a 16 year old have to begin with? Plus she IS just 16 - how can she even really KNOW if she's "up for it"?? I dunno I still question the wisdom of the parents thinking in all this.