She wants to try again, too.

I have a real problem with this story. I'm sorry, but 16 is WAY TOO YOUNG to be out sailing around the world by yourself. People say her parents were letting her live out her dream! Oh, OK!!! So would they allow their 16 year old to get knocked up and get married at 16 if that was her dream? I don't think so! Parents are really stupid sometimes. I've been a sailor and I know how the sea is - it's unpredictable to say the least! Only a fool goes sailing alone and 16 is way too young to be out there alone.

Her parents need to be brought up on charges of child neglect and endangerment. They also need to pay for all the recovery efforts since it was their ultimate decision to allow their daughter to go out there on her own. I'm sick of seeing parents use their children to prove points that aren't needed. All they wanted to show was that their 16 year old GIRL could sail around the world by herself and would be the youngest person in the world to do so.

Back in the old days, younger boys than 16 (some were even 10) would sail on large warships and merchants because THEY HAD TOO! Their fathers were either dead or unable to work for some reason and their mothers didn't work because women didn't work back then. Young boys were required in those cases to leave school and go to work. But they didn't go sailing on their own! That's just foolish. They were apprentices and learning the ropes from older more experienced sailors.

The sea is an unpredictable environment that can cause hazards that a single person can't handle on their own. For instance, she could have fallen overboard and her boat would have kept on sailing without her. She would be dead because it would have taken too long for rescuers to get to her in time. Had she had a sailing buddy, she would be alive.

She could have fallen down and hit her head or cut herself badly enough that she could have died and nobody would have known for days. Had she had a sailing buddy they could have rendered her first-aid and saved her life.

She could have fallen asleep and been hit by a large vessel. This happens a lot more than people seem to realize. Yes, out there in the big open ocean vessels still collide with each other! This almost even happened to a young boy who went sailing around the world by himself. I forgot his name but he wrote about it in his book called, "The Dove". He mentioned that he scrapped down the side of a large freighter out in the pacific one night because he fell asleep! Had he had a sailing buddy, they could have rotated on watches and that could have been prevented!

While I think it's great that parents allow their kids to enjoy SOME freedom, this is just too much! This was just stupid. It was an unnecessary risk with a young life. I look at this as being just about on par with that stupid stunt Michael Jackson did with that baby he dangled over the balcony or Steve Irwin feeding a crocodile with his baby son in his arms! I mean WTF guys?! It's child endangerment and YES it's against the law. It's like letting your kid ride a motorcycle at 16 without a helmet - and encouraging it to boot! Stupid stupid stupid!! :nope:

While I never would make it a rule to say that all teenagers of 16 years are ripe enough to try such an effort, or a comparable one, at that age, I easily can imagine that in indiovidual cases, some persons at that age may already have what it takes.

Her brother made that trip, too, just one year older! ;)

Whether or not Abby was mentally, emotionally and regarding skills and physical robustness already ripe enough to start that trip, or not, we cannot tell. we do not know her, and do not now her parents.

but I object to any principal rule that claism that it ALWAYS must be prohibited to let any person of that age try something that is considered risky. Some teenagers of that age may very well be able and capable enough. and if it really is a dream of theirlife to do for example a sailing turn like this, then for heaven's sake: let them. just make sure that the social constealltion in the family gets checked for it not being a demand by the parents, or a stubborn reaction of the teen just wanting to have a record but not knowing what trysing for it would really mean. If the mental sanity is given in all regard - let them go. Most teens of that age are not avble to do soemthignmoiek that, eniether by skill, nor by mental and emotional ripeness (?). but some rare indoividuals are, loike there are some very dumb and some very bright kids at school that even jump whole school classes. Such talents should not be hindered, but encouraged and best-prepared - for their own well-being.

you can not only ask too much of young people - but you can also ask too little of them. therefore be wise and decide on basis of the individual case.

I'm fine with her parents letting her go.

In the age of sail, royal navy midshipmen were boys. 16 YOs were routinely given command of smaller craft or prizes. Yes, they were not alone, but they could not be alone because the craft they would command typically required some minimum number of hands to work the ship.

I still think that even an adult who does something like this should have "rescue insurance," however.

I guess the new retirement investment is getting your kid on a reality TV show/book deal. :yep: