16-year old sailing around the world solo.

Well, maybe it’s because I’m and old fart that I really don’t find this interesting, I find it idiotic.
All these people who do these stupid ass stunts as “achievements” with a death wish, put normal mentality rescue people in jeopardy to come to their aid. Who bears the cost of rescues, why should they bother to try and rescue stupid people by putting their own lives at stake.
Here you have a 16 year old with 6 months sailing experience going to sail around the world alone! For What?
I really hate to see entire communities, services and military trying find idiots who go down potholes, climb mountains, go survival treks et al.
Sorry if my response is negative but I do think that praising idiots for doing these stunts should stop. Our troops go into harm’s way for us, and that’s where our rescues should be focused.

-- Roger-R, Republic of Texas. "Always look on the Bright Side of Life" - An eyeball to eyeball confrontation with a blind person is as complete waste of Time.

LOL, Roger. I admire the girl for this and think it would be a very powerful experience. I can only imagine the beauty, solitude and wondrous days one would spend in this endeavor. She is from a seafaring family and this is what they do. May she find a following sea.

-- Ohh mann...pancakes and boobies...I'll bet that's what Heaven is like! ♣ ♣ ♣ ♣

Meh somebodys gotta be out there doin the wild stuff.

-- - Jei, Rockford IL - When in doubt, spray it with WD-40 and wrap it with duct tape. The details will attend to themselves.

Abbott:
Sorry but I think the girl is publicity thinking stupid. If you want to imagine all you mention, all you have to do is close your eyes. Seafaring is one thing, blatant idiocy is another.
Jei’son:
Sure, let idiots go out there and do the wild stuff, but let them get on with it when they need rescuing by people who don’t appreciate idiots doing the “wild stuff”

There are many natural disasters that rescue folks are involved in, they don’t need preventable disasters to to risk their lives on. Sorry I can’t go along with the cavalier attitude, people need to be responsible and grow up.

-- Roger-R, Republic of Texas. "Always look on the Bright Side of Life" - An eyeball to eyeball confrontation with a blind person is as complete waste of Time.

what does this have to do with woodworking

-- cut it saw it scrap it SKPE: ANDREW.CARTER69

Hey Pommy – who pulled your chain? I guess the connection is that the boat is made out of wood – specifically, cutting boards.

SOS Please send 1 large Cod and chips (with crackling) with a pickled onion. No Wally.

-- Roger-R, Republic of Texas. "Always look on the Bright Side of Life" - An eyeball to eyeball confrontation with a blind person is as complete waste of Time.

Thanks for sharing I will be checking in occassionally to see how she doing.

-- ~ Guy Woodward, Pflugerville Texas

It doesn’t have to be about woodworking Pommy.

Roger With that logic people shouldn’t sky dive, go off-roading, ride motorcycles, water ski etc etc…that makes no sense. I think of the experience that girl is going to have just by navigating the Panama Canal, or sailing around the Horn or seeing the Southern Cross. I think what she is doing is wonderful and courageous, good for her! What a wonder life can be.

-- Ohh mann...pancakes and boobies...I'll bet that's what Heaven is like! ♣ ♣ ♣ ♣

hi guys i have been keeping an eye on an australian giirl who set of last october

here is her webb site

www.jessicawatson.com.au

hooky

-- Happiness is a way of travel , not a destination (Roy Goodman)

Earth to Abbott:
If people want to indulge in death defying stunts then that is perfectly OK with me, my gripe is that when all these daredevils get in trouble and need rescuing then it is the taxpayers who have to pay for rescue services. Yes people sky dive, go off roading, go down potholes, climb treacherous mountains etc., and they are welcome to it, but nobody else benefits from it and it certainly does not add to the economy. Achievers are people who solve problems and invent things that make our lives better and also create jobs and exports for our country. Getting down a narrow hole in the ground to a certain depth does not seem to me to be an achievement at all.
Sorry but I get annoyed by all the media coverage of egomaniac death defying stunts which are dangerous, of no benefit to our citizens and performed by people who don’t work for a living.
My apologies to those folks out there think all the daredevil stuff is great, I understand your views, I may have agreed with you when I was younger, but age has brought wisdom and the preciousness of life.

-- Roger-R, Republic of Texas. "Always look on the Bright Side of Life" - An eyeball to eyeball confrontation with a blind person is as complete waste of Time.

Roger, I tend to agree with you. I admire the courage of someone who would try this, but in the end it strikes me as self-indulgent. It’s the sort of thing wealthy people do to drum up a little excitement in their lives, because their money insulates them from the real drama of life that most of us have to face every day.

-- Charlie M. "Woodworking - patience = firewood"

No worries Roger:

It is ok to fail to understand why some people chose to live a different type of life then what you think your age has brought you understanding of. Personally I realize and admire this girls desire to do something remarkable. Sailing around the world solo would be an amazing experience for anyone.

No where has the thought of “everything I do must have meaning for others (or the economy) to be worthwhile” enter into my day. I can do plenty of things for no other reason then my own enjoyment, including woodworking. I also work for a living and I am not jealous of her because she has found a way to attempt such a grand undertaking. I think it’s great!

Well, I’m heading out to the shop to work on a bandsaw I am rebuilding, I sure hope that it helps the economy! “winks” :)

-- Ohh mann...pancakes and boobies...I'll bet that's what Heaven is like! ♣ ♣ ♣ ♣

hi guys i have been keeping an eye on an australian giirl who set of last october

here is her webb site

http://www.jessicawatson.com.au/

Thanks Hooky I will have a look.

Here is an entry from Jessica’s blog:

Monday, February 15, 2010

Drifting Around

We haven’t actually been doing a lot of sailing over the last few days, more just sort of drifting and rolling, sometime backwards, not particularly exciting stuff. So we still haven’t quite crossed over the Prime Meridian. We’re sitting just a few nm away from the eastern hemisphere and not able to get there because there isn’t any wind!

I’ve been spending my time either in the cockpit hand steering or buried in a book trying to ignore the rolling and it’s pretty frustrating – very frustrating actually!

Not making any progress makes it feel like we’re just wasting time out here. I’ve discovered that the best way to stop from pulling my hair out is to apply the ‘refuse to let it get to me’ strategy like I do for storms. Isn’t it great that teenagers are good at being stubborn? Oh and
chocolate that helps too!

The good news is that the wind is forecast to start picking soon, so looking forward to that.

I was going to give you all a more detailed rundown on how Ella’s Pink Lady
is holding up, all the wear and tear etc. But I’ll save that for tomorrow.

Jesse

PS – Thanks for all the Happy Valentine’s Day messages!

-- Ohh mann...pancakes and boobies...I'll bet that's what Heaven is like! ♣ ♣ ♣ ♣

Here’s another one. She wanted to go at the age of thirteen.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8219443.stm
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/dec/20/laura-dekker-missing

-- Fred

Hey Abbott:
Yes, I think it is an age thing. I know that in my youth I took a lot of chances for bravado thinking it was pretty cool. It’s only when you get older that life becomes precious to you (not invincible anymore) and you look back and think of some of the idiotic things you did which could have easily cost you your life. I have also found out that trying to “educate” new generations of realized dangers, falls on deaf ears – just like it did on mine many years ago. CharlieM1958 understands what I’m getting at, yes it takes courage to do these sort of things but the risk is unnecessary.
Actually I would be more impressed if the boat made a worldwide voyage with nobody on board, a technological achievement. Or if some of these stunt “experiences” were directly connected to finding cures for cancer, HIV, famine, global warming, job creation etc., etc. I would be right up there cheering them on.

I hope you make headway with your BS rebuild and if you are purchasing parts for it, you are helping the economy – thank you. Getting our country back on its feet is more important than any escapist activities right now, we have to focus 100% on repairing the damage.
Anything we can do to help people find jobs is paramount. There is a lot of hurt out there, more than a lot of people realize or understand—- it ain’t going to get better unless we all do something relevant – not self indulgent stunts.

-- Roger-R, Republic of Texas. "Always look on the Bright Side of Life" - An eyeball to eyeball confrontation with a blind person is as complete waste of Time.