I think its a simple question, SO, how many fathers would allow their daughter to do this?

My vote is NO

I dont have a daughter but I know my answer wouldnt change.

It's definately possible that I would say yes.  I would have to do a lot more research to understand exactly what goes into it, but I'm open minded enough to consider the possibility.

Can I vote again in nine years?  And does this come with a vacation while the kids are gone....

So she is getting on a boat and trying to be first 16 year old to cross the ocean alone? Or she is going on some sort of cruise ship without parental guidance?, with other students.

She was LUCKY. I'm not talking about the storm. There are pirates who could have done much worse to her than the storms.

No is my answer

like said above, do you mean ALONE, like just her on a boat, or do you mean without her parents?  Because that's a big difference.  and are we talking flying, boating, kayak?? 

Not NO, but HELL NO!

No.

I have a 16 year old daughter and the answer for her would be NO.  I can say that in the right context, with the right child, and with proper "training" I would consider it.  The 16 year old that I have now......not a chance.  She won't even go to her room in a fully finished basement without someone going down the stairs with her so the boogie man doesn't get her.

I wouldn't even let my 50 year old go by herself ( If I had one) Dumb decisions make great news headlines.

Yes, if she had the same sailing background as that kid did.  If memory serves, she's been sailing since she was five.  So, she's an accomplished sailor.  She is also on the water and far away from drugs or nasty little boys who want to poke a little fun into her.  At this point in my life I would have gladly sent my daughters out to sail around the world.  They would have been safer.   ;D

Long Mike you may be right about her being safer alone on the ocean than many of the other places a 16 year old can go. That doesn't mean she is safe there.

I do not think a voyage of this nature should be attempted unless one is mature enough to assess the risks involved. I don't believe any girl (or boy) of this age is really able to do this. I know this girl had a lot of sailing experience, time on the water, and she may be a very mature kid, but she is still a kid. Just my $.02.

I do not think a voyage of this nature should be attempted unless one is mature enough to assess the risks involved. I don't believe any girl (or boy) of this age is really able to do this. I know this girl had a lot of sailing experience, time on the water, and she may be a very mature kid, but she is still a kid. Just my $.02.

Isn't this contradictory?  She might be a kid, but if she understands the risks and is a very accomplish sailor then what does it matter if she 16 or 18?

She can probably sail better than all of us on this forum.

I do not think a voyage of this nature should be attempted unless one is mature enough to assess the risks involved. I don't believe any girl (or boy) of this age is really able to do this. I know this girl had a lot of sailing experience, time on the water, and she may be a very mature kid, but she is still a kid. Just my $.02.

Isn't this contradictory? She might be a kid, but if she understands the risks and is a very accomplish sailor then what does it matter if she 16 or 18?

She can probably sail better than all of us on this forum.

I don't think it is contradictory. :-/ Being a mature kid does not mean she is mature enough to make a decision that puts her life at risk in order to set a meaningless record. I think it is a dumb idea at 18, but she then has a couple of more years to grow up, and the legal right to risk her neck if she wants to. Having raised a daughter, the difference in maturity between 16 and 18 is quite large IMHO.

I think it is very likely she has greater open water sailing skills than any of us. For me that is not the issue.

Never.

8-)

Hell I still wanna hurt the guy that gave me my first grandchild,my LITTLE girl was 22.

A bigtime NO!!!!

I would.

And I think that it's none of our business to tell a father that he can't allow his daughter try to accomplish her dreams.  If nothing bad would have happened and she successfully completed her trip, everyone would be congratulating her like they did that kid who climbed Everest.

I would.

And I think that it's none of our business to tell a father that he can't allow his daughter try to accomplish her dreams. If nothing bad would have happened and she successfully completed her trip, everyone would be congratulating her like they did that kid who climbed Everest.

Not me. And if either one was killed in their attempt, their parents would be called to answer for allowing a child to risk his/her life in such a fashion. Parents putting children at risk is everyone's business.

Both the Everest kid and this girl had EXPERIENCE.  Was it risky? Of course.  But life is just one big risk.  Live it.  Be happy.

I would.

And I think that it's none of our business to tell a father that he can't allow his daughter try to accomplish her dreams. If nothing bad would have happened and she successfully completed her trip, everyone would be congratulating her like they did that kid who climbed Everest.

Not me. And if either one was killed in their attempt, their parents would be called to answer for allowing a child to risk his/her life in such a fashion. Parents putting children at risk is everyone's business.

The county next to mine, 8 teens have been killed in a car accident in last 2 years. All of them went to same high school. We live with risk every single day. If it was my daughter and I knew what she was capable of I make my decision base on that. My dad taught me drive a boat, pull a boat, etc. He wouldn't let me take it by myself until I passed his test. Which I did.

Never.

8-)

Spoken like a sane man who actually has a daughter.

Spoken like a sane man who actually has a daughter.

Guess I'm insane then, but my daughter is only 3 so maybe she doesn't count yet.

I am always amazed by people who over react to rare events and completely dismiss the common ones.  A 16 year old driving a car can be a dangerous endeavor, but no one questions that.  Kids riding ATV's are dangerous.  No one really questions that.  How about hunting?  Heck even fishing can be dangerous.  How old should someone be before they can drive a boat (or just walk the shore) and fish all day by themselves?  What about parents who let their kids race motorbikes, cars, etc?  Jeff Gordon started racing at the age of 5!  He was racing sprint races at 13!

No matter which way you look at it living life is dangerous.  Some people aspire to accomplish great things and given the proper training should be allowed to make and be supported in the attempt.

I don't think a U.S. Navy Captain with thirty

years of experience on the seas should attempt

a crossing of the Pacific Ocean in a sailboat,

let alone a teenage girl!

8-)

The hard part about this issue is that the waters seemed to have been muddied by the father's own interest in this situation.  It appears as though he may have driven himself to financial ruin during this whole training process and had signed a reality TV deal to pay the bills after this was completed.  So with that said....was he doing it for her dreams or was he trying to take a careless risk to pay off his debt? 

At 16 I was living on my own, paying my own bills, had my own car, my own job and was for the most part a functioning adult.  I would have been willing to take that risk with the right training.  Do I think that all kids are capable of making that decision.....NO.  Is my 16 y.o. capable.....NO.