Forum Member's Boat and Daughter in Trouble off of Mexico

[BandB]

There are several different issues at play here.

First and foremost there is one and only one of extreme importance. That is the health of the child and family. I hope all are wishing the best for them.

Second, while others of us might or might not choose to live our lives the same way they do, this to me is not the time or place to discuss that. This isn't about who would and who wouldn't. I wouldn't, but I respect they're intelligent, thoughtful people, who have made choices and always had the best interests of themselves and their children in mind. This should not become a discussion of the pros and cons of one lifestyle over another. This is about a child and loving parents and sister who are going through the worst he ll any of us can imagine right now.

Third, becomes the entire issue of privacy and respect. We don't share our cruising anywhere simply because of privacy issues and concerns but we sure do love reading blogs and theirs is fascinating. With that you know you're giving up privacy but that should not be all the way. Athletes, entertainers, even business persons give up some privacy, but when there are family crisis situations they still deserve some privacy respected. There's a limit of decency. And most of all they deserve respect. The attacks have no place and to make personal attacks on someone's blog is the very rue of the internet, that people hiding in anonymity take advantage of no limits on what they might say.

I only have one hope in all this, that the child and family are ok. Nothing else really matters at the moment.

[Nicholson58]

Originally Posted by RainDog

Apparently the Mail also censors their comments. Mine never show up. I guess they don't like me pointing out the factual inaccuracies in their article.

I thought so too. There is a delay. Keep at it all.

I went down the list & voted up-down on every comment. I also couldn't resist putting my 2-cents in.

What a bunch of ignorant, narrow-minded morons.

[Horror Hotel]

This is cruisers forum I would 100% expect everyone here to support this life style.

[Sailing Cowboy]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

Good for you, Bob.


A bit of thread drift -- but does it bother no one that Eric & Charlotte's blog is used, as if, against them, in public, and to a mass audience? Every blog post analyzed and commented on by strangers? Every family photo peered at? This is exactly why I do not have Facebook, and would never keep a publically accessible sailing blog. I have never been able to understand the naive exhibitionism of our age.

I was thinking this exact thing. Wonder if it wouldn't be prudent, somehow, to get the blogs taken down for the moment. We share our lives publicly and when stuff like this happens, our thoughts and feelings posted are twisted and used against us. Eric should make this call, but of course no way to get ahold of him.

[Rhapsody-NS27]

Just saw the blog, I hope the delete all those negative comments. It's sad people would go there to attack them and the way the chose to raise their kids. I think it's awesome they're going out and doing it.

Some people are dreamers and others are doers. Glad to see they're out there doing it.

Made a couple comments on the Daily Mail site. Can't seem to reply to others from the phone, only nee posts.

[Cormorant]

Charlotte's brother is being really supportive here. . . .

“The Whole Thing Is Nuts�: Family Lambasts Boat Trip With Sick Baby | NBC 7 San Diego

...
"I saw this coming. I saw the potential for every bit of it,” said Charlotte’s brother James Moriset. “I'm just glad they're alive and my little niece is being taken care of, which is cool.”
The Kaufmans were two weeks into their around-the-world journey, and they were getting farther and farther away from land every day.
Had the girl fallen ill one week later, James’ wife April said this could be a different – and more tragic -- story.
James told NBC 7 he believes the whole trip was nuts from the beginning.
“I don’t understand what they were thinking to begin with. I’m sorry, I don’t even like to take my kids in a car ride that would be too dangerous, and it’s like taking them out into the big ocean? It’s like – I don’t know,” said James.
James could not even see his sister off because he thought the trip was “too crazy,” he said.
...

[SV THIRD DAY]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

A bit of thread drift -- but does it bother no one that Eric & Charlotte's blog is used, as if, against them, in public, and to a mass audience? Every blog post analyzed and commented on by strangers? Every family photo peered at? This is exactly why I do not have Facebook, and would never keep a publically accessible sailing blog. I have never been able to understand the naive exhibitionism of our age.

Unless you have a blog that is widely followed and post more than just pretty photos it's hard to understand what having a blog and honestly posting your thoughts opens you up to! Offer an opinon, you get attacked. Share a thought, you get attacked. Say you don't like an anchorage that others loved, and now you are, as one posted said on our blog "A complete Idiot and no cruising credibility".

Sure 90% of the blog comments we got over the 4yrs were great but there was that 10% underbelly that forced us to first approve blog comments before they were posted on the blog. NOT because they disagreed with us or thought we were nuts...(we are nuts) but becasue they were just flat out nasty and vile.

We learned that if you want to share your adventure through a blog, then like it or not you were opening yourself up to not just fair critisism but to the crazies.

[captain58sailin]

I am glad to hear that Eric, Charlotte, and family are out of harm's way and improving. I have a lot of respect for them and wish them speedy recovery. Good call folks, I hope you are able to get things back together and re-launch soon! Money spent on the rescue, was well spent. I hope that they are able to restart and continue with their dream, one day far into the future, this will be a story they can tell the children about the time they made world news.

[RainDog]

It will always be those who have no idea what they are talking about that criticize the most harshly and the loudest. People who do, will always be abused by those who do not. The Timid never approve of People of Great Enthusiasms.

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat."

Theodore Roosevelt

[deckofficer]

It is a bit sad that James Moriset wasn't supportive, but the "I told you so" attitude he shared with the local San Diego press could cause some serious divides in the family. My hopes for Eric, Charlotte and girls is they turn these lemons into lemon-aide. They are able to still cruise with the kids and have wonderful adventures, turn all the publicity to a positive note, Charlotte's baby products ( https://www.etsy.com/listing/9225500...-tai-beco-boba ) takes off due to the exposure, and they write a successful book about their trip. The girls grow up as cruising kids do with no prejudices, respect for our planet, and confidence in their own abilities.

I know I'm a "glass half full" kind of guy and I think Eric is also, so lets run with the positives and dismiss the negatives.

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by Horror Hotel

This is cruisers forum I would 100% expect everyone here to support this life style.

Lol. A bit of a far fetched expectation.
The last time I looked all the cruising countries, including the USA, were democracies.

We can all have our own opinions.

I certainly agree with Eric and Charlotte, but thats just my opinion.

As we can see from the blog comments and news comments people have a verity of methods of living life and raising children.
Thank goodness we are allowed to, mostly, go by our own methods.

Finally, many who are critical of young people cruising long range are jealous. They are stuck with their nose to the grindstone and fail to see how and why others cut the strings.




Mark

[jtsailjt]

Lots of responsible parents have taken their kids sailing and many have crossed oceans. Rebel Heart was a very seaworthy boat design and was better prepared by its owners for voyaging than most. But nobody can predict two weeks in advance when a family member might come down with serious illness like salmonella, and nobody, especially two weeks out, could have predicted several days of bad weather that apparently took a toll on an already ill baby and parents trying to care for her. If one or the other of those unpredictable things hadn't happened they'd be sailing happily on their way with barely a mention of a little episode of seasickness a few days ago. There, but for the grace of God, go you or I...


Unless people think nobody should ever take kids sailing or skiing or camping or hiking or a drive in the family car or walk home from school or...., I just can't understand the basis of all the criticism and I told you so mentality. These people prepared as well as anyone could have and had some very bad luck and at the very minimum deserve empathy and understanding from fellow cruisers. Right now the only thing that matters is getting the baby healthy and ensuring everyone is safe. After that I hope they can retain possession of their boat and continue to pursue and enjoy their sailing dreams as a family once all this attention has died down.

[TaoJones]

Originally Posted by Cormorant

Charlotte's brother is being really supportive here. . . .

“The Whole Thing Is Nuts�: Family Lambasts Boat Trip With Sick Baby | NBC 7 San Diego

...
"I saw this coming. I saw the potential for every bit of it,” said Charlotte’s brother James Moriset. “I'm just glad they're alive and my little niece is being taken care of, which is cool.”
The Kaufmans were two weeks into their around-the-world journey, and they were getting farther and farther away from land every day.
Had the girl fallen ill one week later, James’ wife April said this could be a different – and more tragic -- story.
James told NBC 7 he believes the whole trip was nuts from the beginning.
“I don’t understand what they were thinking to begin with. I’m sorry, I don’t even like to take my kids in a car ride that would be too dangerous, and it’s like taking them out into the big ocean? It’s like – I don’t know,” said James.
James could not even see his sister off because he thought the trip was “too crazy,” he said.
...

In early January, Charlotte and her sister Sariah outed their father on Charlotte's blog for molesting them when they were adolescents. They have many siblings, and one sister and one brother attacked them for revealing what their father had done.

The brother who was opposed to their revelations sent Charlotte an email stating, "You get uglier with very [sic] passing year. Get back on your boat and disappear." (From Charlotte's Blog of January 19, 2014)

Was it the brother who appears in the channel 7 piece? I don't know, but it wouldn't surprise me. At the very least, her brother James obviously doesn't understand the value and appropriateness of a simple, "No comment."

TaoJones

[Greenhand]

Charlotte's sister's latest updates on Facebook give the definite impression that they are planning to abandon Rebel Heart, and everything that she stood for.

[SV THIRD DAY]

Originally Posted by Greenhand

Charlotte's sister's latest updates on Facebook give the definite impression that they are planning to abandon Rebel Heart, and everything that she stood for.

A) the non-cruiser sister is rightfully more focused on the Family than the boat...so I wouldn't place much weight on her impressions at this point. But people over property is SOP in rescue situations.

B) even if they decide to abandon a collection of wood, fiberglass, and sails to protect what really matters (the Family) I don't see that as abandoning everything she stood for. To me...More like Confirming Everything She Stood For.