How to stop a little girl from going RTW
- Thread starter WayneS
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bromleybysea
Well-Known Member
13 year-old sailing RTW
There is a big piece in today's "Times" There is a comment by Libby Purves. As usual, she talks a great deal of sense.
There is a big piece in today's "Times" There is a comment by Libby Purves. As usual, she talks a great deal of sense.
Dyflin
Well-Known Member
johnalison
Well-Known Member
It seems sad to thwart the young lady's ambitions, but this business is beginning to turn into a freak-show, and freak-shows reflect badly on those who enjoy them. I am full of admiration for any youngster willing to take such risks (and older people too), but by giving them such acclaim and encouraging them we will have to share the responsibility when one of them is lost.
Koeketiene
Well-Known Member
Well said.
It reeks of parents vicariously living their dreams through their children
Indeed. I am surprised the issue requires any debate.It reeks of parents vicariously living their dreams through their children
Sultans_Kapitein
RIP
It seems she is 'keen' to go it alone, she was arrested/detained in Suffolk last year because she had apparently sailed over from Holland, single handed of course. The police were concerned for her but released her when her father turned up to collect her. She apparently had different ideas and promptly set sail for home, ALONE.
Going to be a handful that one!
Mal
Going to be a handful that one!
Mal
photodog
Lord High Commander of Upper Broughton and Gunthor
I am full of admiration for any youngster willing to take such risks
There is no possible way that someone of 13 can even come close to properly understanding this risk... Therefore I have no admiration, It is the height of foolishness and a act of folly and naivety on behalf of the parents.
There is no possible way that someone of 13 can even come close to properly understanding this risk... Therefore I have no admiration, It is the height of foolishness and a act of folly and naivety on behalf of the parents.
gregandginas
Well-Known Member
Good! Better that than the alternative!
Question though: since when has setting off around the world been overly committing?
Sure, managing it would be a sensational achivement... but if she DID set off then she would have the option of calling it a day at any stop en-route: no-one's going to force her to turn around and head onwards in ANY port!!!
Sounds like she's more than capable of the sailing, so it's a mental thing... and 13 year old girls vary enormously in maturity: some are still little kids, whilst some are just frustrated adults. This one may well be at the extreme end of the latter spectrum.
Doesn't mean I think it's a great idea... but I don't see why she shouldn't START the epic: all she needs is a guarantee that adults will come and pick up the pieces in the event that the strain becomes too much.
What no-one needs is her spending the next years becoming increasingly frustrated, bitter and angry... as THAT experience could blight the rest of her life far more than anything experienced in an attempt at going around the world.
To cap it all... in the unlikely event of her pulling it all off, she'd have had the most characterbuilding childhood this side of those youngsters who are basically child-warriors in civil wars (many of whom, I suspect, could reasonably claim that anything she might go on to experience would be pretty tame).
laurance
Well-Known Member
Isn't this just another example of nannyism? Indeed it seems the Netherland social services only took action after she had sailed over to the UK and our lot stuck her 'in care', then alerted their Dutch counterparts.
If she really is being pushed into this by her parents then of course the authorities should step in. But as far as I can see she is driven by her own ambition and her father has shown due unease at the proposition; and taken steps to satisfy himself she is competent to attempt the trip. She is one of the fortunate few who grew up during a circumnavigation on her parents boat, seawomanship is no doubt second nature to her. As for the mental challenge of singlehanded offshore sailing, why would a young woman used to the ocean be anymore vulnerable in this regard than an adult? Adults constantly push themselves beyond sensible limits in all areas of life, whereas wouldn't Ms Dekker merely abandon the attempt en-route if either she or her parents changed their minds?
If her parents are willing to let her make this trip do governments really have a right to interfere?
If she really is being pushed into this by her parents then of course the authorities should step in. But as far as I can see she is driven by her own ambition and her father has shown due unease at the proposition; and taken steps to satisfy himself she is competent to attempt the trip. She is one of the fortunate few who grew up during a circumnavigation on her parents boat, seawomanship is no doubt second nature to her. As for the mental challenge of singlehanded offshore sailing, why would a young woman used to the ocean be anymore vulnerable in this regard than an adult? Adults constantly push themselves beyond sensible limits in all areas of life, whereas wouldn't Ms Dekker merely abandon the attempt en-route if either she or her parents changed their minds?
If her parents are willing to let her make this trip do governments really have a right to interfere?
Boomshanka
Well-Known Member
My thoughts entirely...
Wansworth
Well-Known Member
We live in times where children in our mollycudled society are expected to be children for far too long.If I recall the capitain of Darwins ship was 23 and he was charting unknownwaters round cape horn,I expect there where many skippers of trading ships in their teens.This girl has the background to assess the situation for herself,although the idea of some sort of record is a bit hollow,I favour more the Motisser approch........
Greenwichman
Well-Known Member
Freedom to choose?
Her parents could be totally unhinged. If so, the law should intervene. Otherwise, who says that the lawyers and the social workers are better equipped to judge? Indeed, who are we to judge when there are others much closer to and more understanding of the ambitions and capabilities and emotional strengths of the young woman?
She is evidently an exceptional sailor; she is not a 'typical' teenager, nor her parents 'average'. Libby Purves - usually so right - weighed in with an unexpectedly conservative line in The Times today. And IMHO she called it wrong.
The state has no business interfering in private lives unless it can be shown that the people concerned are mad or bad. I have seen nothing to suggest that the parents are either of these things. If they were, the joint custody that has now been decided would be inappropriate in any case.
The decision should have been the parents' call; and if they had got it wrong they must stand and would surely have been counted.
As it is, with today's unfortunate decision, we are seeing the worst form of state nanny-ism. George Orwell, where are you? You were right all along.
Her parents could be totally unhinged. If so, the law should intervene. Otherwise, who says that the lawyers and the social workers are better equipped to judge? Indeed, who are we to judge when there are others much closer to and more understanding of the ambitions and capabilities and emotional strengths of the young woman?
She is evidently an exceptional sailor; she is not a 'typical' teenager, nor her parents 'average'. Libby Purves - usually so right - weighed in with an unexpectedly conservative line in The Times today. And IMHO she called it wrong.
The state has no business interfering in private lives unless it can be shown that the people concerned are mad or bad. I have seen nothing to suggest that the parents are either of these things. If they were, the joint custody that has now been decided would be inappropriate in any case.
The decision should have been the parents' call; and if they had got it wrong they must stand and would surely have been counted.
As it is, with today's unfortunate decision, we are seeing the worst form of state nanny-ism. George Orwell, where are you? You were right all along.
curve
Well-Known Member
I wonder why she didn't just sail and then have the story reported to the media after she had departed?
KenMcCulloch
Well-Known Member
'If not duffer, won't drown, if duffer, best drowned' ... or words to that effect.
mickywillis
Well-Known Member
If the kid has got these ambitions, then why not let her do the RTW in stages?
I mean, there are quite a few 13 year olds who become parents themselves at that age!! Now THAT is irresponsible and do the authorities step in then? No, its down to the parents to sort that one out.
Good luck to her and I hope the Dutch see her potential for future adventures.
I mean, there are quite a few 13 year olds who become parents themselves at that age!! Now THAT is irresponsible and do the authorities step in then? No, its down to the parents to sort that one out.
Good luck to her and I hope the Dutch see her potential for future adventures.
bitman
Well-Known Member
nova
lucky me i'm dutch and just saw on the dutch tv the program nova with all the facts...
lucky me i'm dutch and just saw on the dutch tv the program nova with all the facts...
Dyflin
Well-Known Member
I heard a Dutch journalist interviewed about the story today. The trip was moving well through planning stages until her parents applied to the school to have her "released" from formal education for two years and do a 'World School' curriculum instead. Dutch solution to a Dutch problem. They stopped her as the school/education authority said no and thereby the parents are legally obliged to keep her in school.
Where was the young lady today when asked to comment on the story? Out sailing by herself!
I wouldn't be surprised if she quietly slipped her lines one night and headed out without fuss and TV crews.
Where was the young lady today when asked to comment on the story? Out sailing by herself!
I wouldn't be surprised if she quietly slipped her lines one night and headed out without fuss and TV crews.
Koeketiene
Well-Known Member
bitman
Well-Known Member
idd
