But Mom, he got to sail around the world!

We do not know she's dead, only that radio/phone contact has been lost. In fact, this story says her emergency signal equipment was deliberately activated, suggesting that she is alive, and says that rescuers know exactly where they're going in order to look for her. If she's with or near the boat, she may still be alive, depending on the condition of the vessel, and if she was wearing a wet suit.

Let's hope for that.

http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/37618875/ns/sports-other_sports/

 

If she dies, she died doing what she loves. That, we all know, is what's important.

And I call complete bullshit on $6,500 to buy a boat, fuel, and all the navigation equipment, and supplies, for a year long trip. $6,500 will buy you a used sea-doo.

 

Fine. Take it up with our very own Chris Jones, whose story provided the information.

 

Good lord.

 

1. I haven't seen anyone jump the gun on a death since, err, John Wooden.

2. Drowning can kill you real fast.

3. What are you, psychic CSI?

4. It would have been really impractical for her to bring a dog.

There is a trip wire in the brain that makes many of the people on this thread, yourself included, create this alternative reality that this girl's parents are evil monsters; not figuratively, you really believe this. The defense mechanism to "otherise" people who in fact might be reasonable decent people because they allowed their daughter to do something she was passionate about, and she might have perished doing it, is what is really sickening.

Parents who allow their 16-year-olds cell phones and car keys, which is probably 97% of parents of 16-year-old girls in the nation, are no less culpable when their child dies in an automobile accident.

 

I should show you some pics of boats people advertise in my paper that cost $10K. I wouldn't want to be more than the length I could swim to shore with on one of those.

 

Zac Sunderland sailing speedily along as parents sink deeper into debt
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/outposts/2009/04/zac-sunderland-sailing-speedily-along-as-parents-sink-further-into-debt.html

But this has not been easy on Zac's parents. Laurence Sunderland, a shipwright whose business has suffered because of the recession, reluctantly conceded in an interview that the odyssey has cost about $140,000, and that the family is sinking hopelessly into debt and now must pay for Zac's passage through the Panama Canal.

 

I don't care if Admiral Nimitz wrote the story.

$6,500? For a boat, supplies, fuel AND navigation equipment? Are you insane?

http://www.sailboattraderonline.com/search-results/NewOrUsed-any/Type-Sail/Category-all/State-all/Year-2005,2011/Price-6000,7000/Sort-LengthESC/

This is what $6,500 will get you.

$6,085
$6,995
$6,300



But he bought a world-traveling vessel, with state of the art navigation and communication equipment for $6,500.

Okay.

This is truly one of the most asinine discussions I've ever had on this board. And I've been in many of them.

 

Is there a third Sunderland child named Falcon?

 

Her 2010 Dead Pool numbers are off the charts.

 

Wanted to post this, for some perspective from Zac Sunderland, as well as some good information on sailing and Abby's equipment, etc.

It's from this afternoon and hasn't been updated, but still, some good insight and information, offered by someone who, obviously, is biased, but who also has gone through a similar experience.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/06/abby-sunderland-rescue.html

 

Oh good lord. Yeah there is a reason for that, and it has basically nothing to do with this.