Image courtesy of 2010 Lisa Gizara/GizaraArts.com
I first read the breaking news last night about the missing sixteen year old, American girl. Abby is attempting to sail around the world solo as the youngest person ever but she was missing after placing two distress calls. I just closed my eyes and imagined what it might be like to sail around the world, alone at sixteen.
When I was sixteen, during our summer vacation, I used to sail around the Gulf of Mexico with my parents on our 37-foot GulfStar sailboat. Sailing was a lot of work and frankly I preferred taking trips on our power boat. Unlike Abby who is sailing a 40-foot boat solo, I am lazy, looool. As I read how Abby was missing before I slept last night, I thought how could her parents let her do it alone? If I have a daughter one day I don't think I could ever let her attempt something so dangerous and risky at such a young age. Regardless, Abby is a brave girl with a passion for sailing solo around the world. She is an inspiration to all girls around the world. Thank God she is alive and well. I am praying that her dream to be the youngest person to sail around the world solo comes true!
My Father taking a shower on top of our sailboat when we were sailing the Gulf of Mexico as a family. Notice his trademark red ice chest that was on our second yacht in my other post on What I miss the most about the USA while living in kuwait.
Abby Sunderland is alive and apparently safe aboard her damaged sailboat
By: Pete Thomas, GrindTV.com, Friday, June 11, 2010 12:02am PDT
Abby Sunderland, 16, is alive and apparently well, floundering in rough seas in the Indian Ocean without a mast, but safely aboard her 40-foot boat and awaiting the arrival of rescue ships.
An Australian plane with 11 trained observers found Sunderland, who on Thursday had activated two emergency distress beacons signaling an international rescue attempt, not long after daybreak Friday. Its crewmade contact with her on a marine radio channel.
The mariner from Thousand Oaks, Calif., who had been attempting to become the youngest person to have sailed around the world alone, had lost has mast and rigging after her vessel apparently rolled in heaving seas. Her position is extremely remote, more than 2,000 miles from Australia and Africa.
"I was envisioning all sorts of nightmare situations," Marianne Sunderland, Abby's mom, said when reached via phone at her family's home in Thousand Oaks, Calif. Marianne and Laurence Sunderland, and six other children, had remained in their home, refusing to talk to reporters, until they had learned the fate of their daughter. Marianne did not talk to Abby but Abby told the airplane crew she "was fine" and not badly hurt.
A rescue has not been made, however. The nearest ship bound for her position is about 30 hours away, but fierce winds and seas that had been upwards of 40 feet are abating. Australian, American and French search-and-rescue authorities are cooperating in the rescue attempt.
http://www.grindtv.com/outdoor/blog/17960/abby+sunderland+is+alive+and+apparently+safe+aboard+her+damaged+sailboat/
Abby's Blog:
http://soloround.blogspot.com/
Brave Girl
