Yachting FAIL - Jessica Watson

[TaoJones]

From today's 'Lectronic Latitude, comes the following report of the incident:

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"Around 2 a.m. this morning, Watson encountered the Japanese cargo ship Silver Yang. According to news reports, she tried contacting the ship on VHF but no one aboard appears to have spoken English. Watson's father, Roger, claims that she tried several times to change course to avoid a collision but, for whatever reason, failed."

* * *

To read the entire report and see a picture of Miss Watson's damaged vessel, go to "Drama in Teen Sailing" at:

Latitude 38 - The West's Premier Sailing & Marine Magazine

TaoJones

[MarkJ]

It has little to do with this particular persons age. The whole record breaking business of being youngest means that ever younger people will try it... until a 7 year old does it and dies.

Sound stupid?

Well here's the evidence of a 7 year old record attemp where it turned tragic. Most Americans will remember this.

So loast weeks 13 year old Dutch girl, this weeks 16 yo, and some 15 year old somewhere.... next year, what? 12? 11? 10?

Want to read about what I am talking about? Jessica Dubroff - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Or websites like JessicaDubroff was murdered for the camera.

Do you really want to see solo sailors looking like this:







Hey, do you notivce the similarities with the current girl????????
Pink hat / pink boat
Women / Lady

When they are just kiddies.

[Christian Van H]

Well, this is getting weirder... This from the previous link: "She was highly visible and doing everything that is expected of a solo sailor and any person in such a busy shipping lane." Strange... "Ms Watson, who was below deck at the time of the incident, was not injured." I do believe someone is BSing us...

[sarafina]

heh... my mama alarm went off at;

According to news reports, she tried contacting the ship on VHF but no one aboard appears to have spoken English. Watson's father, Roger, claims that she tried several times to change course to avoid a collision but, for whatever reason, failed.

That sooo sounds like a sketch... once you know a big ship is there it is not hard to avoid a collision in the shipping lanes... barring bad weather and conditions, of which I have heard not a thing.

[FSMike]

Somebody much wiser than I once said --

"I have come to the conclusion that almost everything
is none of my business."

[sarafina]

"It takes a village..."

[Pelagic]

I remember reading all the early solo circumnavigators books and noting that often their most dangerous events was getting away from shipping lanes and approaches, when they made their departure. Many close calls and even collisions.

GPS accuracy makes it even more of a narrow passage, so in all fairness…she is following in the footsteps of many older sailors before her.

I started a Poll to see where our many experienced members would actually vote on Age limits, since it is not about her but as a parent or society…. the dichotomy of Risk and Reward, a guardian should decide on.

Please vote!

[cat man do]

Originally Posted by Pelagic

I remember reading all the early solo circumnavigators books and noting that often their most dangerous events was getting away from shipping lanes and approaches, when they made their departure. Many close calls and even collisions.

Yes, I would agree if it was somewhere like Singapore (Hundred of ships) or English Channel(Hundreds of Ships)

But off Brisbane ?


Bugger all ships here mate.

[TOM]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

From newspaper quote

You see? Theres the other thing with these imbicle children and their dreams. They f#$% up other people lives. Yes a 60 year old career seaman who has risen to captian of a large ship has his career and reputation put on the line for a fools errand.


Mark

We have a child and took offence to the tone of your comment particularly as it relates to a young lady. You have a right to live your life and realise your dreams just as any other person on this planet. A person who makes things happen for themselves and strives to achieve great things should be encouraged and not told to conform to the "norm" which so often stiffles achievement at any level. Lets hope that todays youth have more enthusiasm to "rock the boat" than any of us older "wiser" ones as we have not done such a great job of so many things. With regards to the captain of the ship, if he has risen to his role through skill and integrity he has nothing to fear.

Joyce.
www.byamee.com

[highseas]

Seems to me that in the past,you had to be 18 years old before you were an adult,capable of making mature decisions.We all know how risky offshore solo sailing is.Why would the parents choose a challenge as this for a young teenager?How can a person of this age make good judgement decisions,when true experience is obviously very limited.Money and fame has ruined many a good person.

[Lodesman]

Originally Posted by highseas

Why would the parents choose a challenge as this for a young teenager?

It will keep her away from undesirables, drinking, drugs and prevent her from getting knocked up. Works better than a curfew.

[Tellie]

The act alone of breaking this record is to adhere to a very strict schedule. A schedule to do it before she's too old and a schedule to get back in time before someone younger takes off.

Now, what are the experienced sailors opinions on the wisdom of tight schedules?

[Joli]

Well as that famous bumper sticker states "**** happens". Maybe she'll get back at it or maybe she won't, in the end it doesn't really matter but if she does I wish her well. As a 14 year old I was transporting boats and gone from the family for months at a time, learned a lot and tried to minimize my Charlie Foxtrots.

None of us are getting out of this alive.

[twowheel]

Wow. After stepping away from this thread for a bit and coming back to catch up I have to say I am appalled at what I'm reading. Given, I am fairly new to this group of folks but I had no idea that there was such a level of pretentiousness or prejudice here.

Keep in mind that regardless of age she has more expierence on the water than a few other circumnavigators I'm aware of. With that cut her some slack. Secondly, we are NOT her parents and are NOT privy to the intricate details on how the family operates or their dynamics so don't pass judgement on the family.

I like to operate under the belief that anyone is capable of doing anything as long as they put their mind to it. Just because she's younger that about 99.9% of us here doesn't make her any less capable.

Hell, because she is willing to attempt what a majority is afraid of or doesn't care about says that she's got bigger "00" than even I've given her credit for.

[Tellie]

For me this is not so much about the girl and her motives. But rather those in the background and their motives. I don't have to be her parent or privy to the intricate details nor their dynamics to judge a dangerous stunt when I see and understand one. Am I judgemental? Damn right I am, just like everybody else is. Had this girl been killed, as she well could have, I would have even more harshly judged her parents. If this girl and her parents want to stuff a world record in her resume she can pogo stick her way into a record book. MarkJ is right on the money. This is nothing but a fast track to get a child killed.