16-year-old solo sailor Abby Sunderland in destress 2,000 miles from Australia, Her manual EPIRB and PLB were activated. The second, automatic EPIRB has not gone off, leading the family to beleive the boat is still afloat and upright. Nearest boat is a fishing vessel 40 hours away.

More details on her bl blog og. http://ht.ly/1WTYW

She's remarkable.

My parents wouldn't let me drive 60 miles to Portland by myself when I was sixteen.

I hope she's okay.

I've got mixed feelings about such young sailors taking such trip by themselves. I think she is very brave and adventurous to undertake such a voyage. I wish her nothing but good and good luck.

That said I'm glad that the various major sailing organizations have eliminated the category of "youngest" on the various voyages they certify. I don't know how this tied into this particular case and will assume, until shown otherwise, that such prizes were entirely secondary to her own desire and internal motivation.

The celebration of "the youngest" person to circumnavigate is an invitation for the age to get pushed down, for kids who are not ready to get pushed to sail to soon, for a tragedy that could cost their life and well-being, and potentially put rescuers at risk.

The main problem I have with such things is the young brain simply hasn't finished developing. No matter how mature they are or act, they simply don't have the cognitive abilities that they would when they are grown. To push your kid into such dangerous things that they would be better prepared for later in life doesn't seem like good parenting to me. The ocean/mountain/whatever will still be there, and there are always records to be broken.

That said, I feel even more strongly about telling people what they can and can't do, and I don't think anybody should be told how to raise their kid short of blatant disregard for the kid's health.

Also, if parents are willing to let such young kids do this, they should be able to fully pay the bills for any rescue needed, and able to compensate families if a loved one is lost trying to rescue the kid.

MOB?
I hope not, but if she is then I wish her luck.
I really mean that.

It is so easy to be swept overboard if you are not careful.

That argument makes no sense to me. Are you trying to say that there is some specific act or decision a 16 yo is fundamentally incapable of? What specific act is it?

Experience is a more important point I think. And not many adults, not even those who have made around-the-world sailing trips, would be immune from problems that come from being in 20' seas in a 40' boat for several days in a row.

Bravery is the courage to do what is right under extreme circumstances. And that includes knowing when to call it quits. What an unfortunate situation. And for what? To break a time record? How tragic.

Her blog just released an update. Her rigging is down, but she's alive and well.

http://soloround.blogspot.com/2010/06/abby-is-fine.html

As far as whether she should be doing this trip, I don't think she's running a much greater risk than anyone else who pursues solo outdoor activities. The margin for error is smaller, but to some people the risk is well worth it.

One AP report says the boat lost its mast. Whatever did that probably doesn't make using a hand-held satellite phone on the deck very appealing, and she probably lost most other antennae with the mast.

That same AP report says that a boat about 30 hours away is encountering 40' seas(!). What kind and quality of weather forecasting is available to private interests that far out to sea?

I just heard she was rescued, alive and well.

I can't see my parents letting me sail the world at 16, but then again, I had some common sense and never wanted to.