16-Year-Old Sailor Feared Lost at Sea

[Ben Kenobi]

Slowwy:

I understand your position. I've taken on adventures myself unsupervised, but not to this duration, or distance from civilisation. I don't think there is anywhere else in the world where you could be 40 hours away from assistance.

That being said, I admire her courage. Given the preparations she underwent I can't call this neglect. As much as I would like to be able to say it's always possible to have someone there with you, this isn't true.

I think the furthest I've ever been, alone, is probably about an hour or so from my house, in the middle of winter. Worst case scenario would have meant a bit of a walk. That's it. I have to wonder how much that has changed over time.

[SlowwHand]

Courage isn't all it's cracked up to be when it's not taken with a dose of reality check.

[Asher]

I don't think any of us should be surprised that reality doesn't factor in to Ben's decisions.

[trev]

News reports in Australia say she has been spotted from the air alive, know no more details, but rescue would be still 24 more hours I believe.

[ColdWizard]

Reportedly lost mast and rigging but otherwise fine. Link.

[Barnabas]

Don't you people ever get thrills from doing stupid and dangerous things?

[Dinner]

I'm all for 55 year olds dying before they suck up social security but 16 year olds need to work for a life time so that they can pay for my social security.

[Dinner]

Don't you people ever get thrills from doing stupid and dangerous things?

Sure, but I got my kicks out of going to war and killing useless sand ******s. At least my kicks were productive as killing hajis is always a productive activity. At least they got a semi fair fight*.


* = Air strikes not out standing.

[Barnabas]

I used to expose myself to getting robbed by walking through very dangerous neighbourhoods. I would first explore the place by bus or train, with the public transportation the locals would use, and then decide which would be the best route to walk across the neighbourhood.

Actually, I used to do that because I like traveling, and once I had visited all the good places of Buenos Aires, and had gotten bored of them, all I had left were the dangerous places. It was a consequence of that, and not particularly looking for thrills even if it got a little addictive.

edit: I admit that was totally not productive

[dannubis]

Yes Ben, a 16 year old can make a conscious decision to cross the south indian ocean all alone in a sailing vessel, but if they get pregnant they can't decide for themselves to end it... Stick to you guns, idiot !

[Elok]

Lindbergh, Armstrong, Hillary, Columbus, all reckless, stupid, irresponsible monsters who should have just gotten a 9-5 job like everyone else. How dare they seek to push at the limits of human accomplishment. How dare they venture boldly into the dark. How dare they take a chance. What a bunch of ego maniacs.

Well, in order...don't know much about Lindbergh, but I understand he got substantial fame and accompanying money out of what he did so it wasn't all dumb. This girl wouldn't get anything more than appearances on a couple of talk shows.

Armstrong: the race to the moon was one of the most pointless, money-wasting endeavors in human history, a silly little dick-measuring contest with the commies. I've already said as much on here. Armstrong was, however, paid for taking risk, so he's one up on her too.

Hillary: see Lindbergh, only I'm not sure how much he got out of it and he didn't really pave the way for new endeavors like Lindy did with solo transatlantic flight. We'd seen the frozen rock, we'd been around every side of the frozen rock, but now by God we'd been on TOP of the frozen rock! Huzzah!

Columbus: unlike the other three insofar as he was an actual, certifiable moron. He wasn't doing it for the majesty of endeavor, just to open up a new trade route for his own profit. That should make him look less silly, but alas, he was a cretin. The circumference of the globe had been known for over a thousand years to be far greater than he thought it was. He would have died or failed looking for the Indies if he hadn't bumbled across America by accident. And when he did find it, he totally screwed up the management of it. We have a holiday named after this guy to remind the ****ups among us that they, too, can potentially succeed despite any incompetence.

[Asher]

Elok: Don't underestimate Armstrong & the moon race. It inspired many, many scientists today.

Not everything needs to have a tangible effect to be important.

[Elok]

It inspired them? To do what, waste ****loads of money? It's not like he discovered anything important up there.

[dannubis]

Well, in order...don't know much about Lindbergh, but I understand he got substantial fame and accompanying money out of what he did so it wasn't all dumb. This girl wouldn't get anything more than appearances on a couple of talk shows.

Armstrong: the race to the moon was one of the most pointless, money-wasting endeavors in human history, a silly little dick-measuring contest with the commies. I've already said as much on here. Armstrong was, however, paid for taking risk, so he's one up on her too.

Hillary: see Lindbergh, only I'm not sure how much he got out of it and he didn't really pave the way for new endeavors like Lindy did with solo transatlantic flight. We'd seen the frozen rock, we'd been around every side of the frozen rock, but now by God we'd been on TOP of the frozen rock! Huzzah!

Columbus: unlike the other three insofar as he was an actual, certifiable moron. He wasn't doing it for the majesty of endeavor, just to open up a new trade route for his own profit. That should make him look less silly, but alas, he was a cretin. The circumference of the globe had been known for over a thousand years to be far greater than he thought it was. He would have died or failed looking for the Indies if he hadn't bumbled across America by accident. And when he did find it, he totally screwed up the management of it. We have a holiday named after this guy to remind the ****ups among us that they, too, can potentially succeed despite any incompetence.

Yes because sitting in a church and praying to an entitiy nobody has ever been able to see so far is helping the world soooo much better

[Asher]

It inspired them? To do what, waste ****loads of money? It's not like he discovered anything important up there.

To become scientists, to research space travel and aeronautics, etc.