Thoughts on Abby Sunderland attempt to sail around the world at age 16.

God bless the whole familey

Alan Villiers born in Melbourne, Australia, he first went to sea at age 15 and sailed all the world's oceans on board traditionally rigged vessels, including the full rigged ship, Joseph Conrad. He was the author of 25 books. He wrote about young men younger than himself on these undermanned ships, as they raced around the world. From england to Australia and return, in what were called the Great Grain Races. There were no radios, no GPS, no radar, no sat phones, and for the most part, most countries did not have a comprehensive Rescue Force. They sailed in the 50 foot seas with full cargo, and waves sweeping the decks(he took pictures and video that prove it). THey were not equipped for the contions they had to tolerate, the food was terrible, and work unrelenting. Read his books!!

Joseph Conrad at 16 began his career as a seaman. He became a famous writer, to say the least.

Louis Dearborn L'Amour left home at 15 to travel as a normad, eventually traveled the world as a seaman. At the time of his death all 105 of his existingworks were in print (89 novels, 14 short-story collections, and two full-length works of nonfiction) and he was considered "one of the world's most popular writers."

Captain Bligh first went to sea as a cabin bor or captain's servant at the age of seven or eight on HMS Monmouth. Seven years later, he enlisted as a midshipman on HMS Hunter. That is Bligh of the "Mutiny on the Bounty" fame.

In days of wooden ships and iron men, cabin boys were typically 8-10 years old. AN "able bodied seaman" could be 13-15 years old. To be a captain as an "old man" was around 22-26.

Where would we be if there were not young people willing to risk the "normal" to conquer new heights - and parents who were for a variety of reasons, willing to let them go.