16-year-old sailing around world plans unassisted nonstop

[StevenP]

I wish I could take back all the critical arm chair comments I made above.

The fact is that even though I've done many adventurous things, I'm at heart a coward compared to this girl and wouldn't have gotten half as far as she did.

I would have been lonely, cold, tired, bored, scared, etc long before getting to the Southern Ocean. I'm always over prepared, too timid, and afraid, and as a result entirely average.

We need people like Abby to inspire others, to keep the dream alive and to make life worth living. She represents the pinnacle of human achievement.

Abby we're praying for you and expect to hear good news in a few days.

[Thomas Kyasky]

This morning 2 of Abby's rescue beacons were activated and a S&R is under way. A third water activated beacon has not be activated.

[Russell]

The fact that the automatic water activated EPRIB was NOT activated and two manually activated ones were I take as a very good sign. My theory would be a possible knockdown/capsize/dismasting resulting in communications being knocked out and the boat unsailable. Newer open class boats have to meet much more rigerous standards of seaworthiness then the older ones and short of being holed should be able to stay afloat and right side up (and likely watertight bulkheads would keep her afloat even if holed).

Hopefully they get a flyover soon, ships are going to take awhile to get to her it seems.

I am remaining positive though, I have confidence she will be rescued alive and well, she was well prepared with a good boat and the best safety equipment on top of being an obviously very smart girl and amazing sailor.

I hate that there are already people out there saying "I told you so", when in fact, her ability to get through a crisis at sea and deal with an emergency properly will in fact be evidence that she was absolutely able to take on this voyage.

[Russell]

From Abby Sunderlands family a couple minutes ago (via Facebook):

The Quantas Airbus arranged by Australian Search & Rescue will be flying over Abby's location within hours. They will not be able to help her other than to talk via marine radio if they are able to get close enough. Hopefully, they will be able to assess her situation and report back to us. Thank you for all of your kind thoughts and prayers.

[Noel Heslop]

We will all keep our fingers crossed.

The distance from Australia allows the Qantas Airbus only 2 hours flying time after flying 3,600 KMS (say 2,000 miles) to get to the search zone, mid way between Australia and Africa.

Link to Australian news update:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010 ... 924732.htm

[Russell]

She has been found, dismasted but upright and alive in good health, the plane was able to talk to her via radio.

[Noel Heslop]

Yes Russell, Good News, Abby is leading our news bulletins and is alive and well, and boat seaworthy (per radio just this minute).

Everyone, this link is being updated. Ignore my previous link above.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/

[Noel Heslop]

Our latest radio news is Abby is dismasted but not taking any water. Abby could not restart motor so she has been advised to pack up and be ready for a pickup from a fishing boat which will take 24 hours to reach her.

Note: My time (I think) is posting 10 hours ahead of US time, so it is 5.40pm here, say 7.40am Friday morning in the US.

Specially prepared Qantas Airbus took off at 7.30am this morning, and sighted Abby shortly after 4pm at the end of 2 hour search pattern allowed. This was tracking the EPERB to finally allow visual siting. 12 people were mentioned as flying to assist the visual siting of Abby.

Boat is expected late tomorrow afternoon Australian time to reach Abby.

[Zeida]

THREE LOUD HURRAYS FOR ABY! She's "just fine"... WAY TO GO GIRL.

[drysuit2]

http://online.wsj.com/video/us-teen-sai ... 81081.html

Boats head to teen sailor drifting in Indian Ocean
By ROD McGUIRK, Associated Press Writer Rod Mcguirk, Associated Press Writer
52 mins ago

CANBERRA, Australia – A 16-year-old sailor on a round-the-world journey alone was drifting in the frigid southern Indian Ocean on Friday as rescue boats headed toward her yacht, damaged by 30-foot waves that knocked out her communications and prompted her to set off a distress signal.

After a tense 20 hours of silence, a search plane launched from Australia's west coast made radio contact with Abby Sunderland on Friday.

Her boat's mast was broken — ruining satellite phone reception — and was dragging with the sail in the ocean, said search coordinator Mick Kinley, acting chief of the Australia Maritime Safety Authority that chartered a commercial jet for the search.

But the keel was intact, the yacht was not taking on water and Sunderland was equipped for the conditions, he said.

"The aircraft (crew) spoke to her. They told her help was on the way and she sounds like she's in good health," Kinley told reporters in Canberra.

"She's going to hang in there until a vessel can get to her," probably on Saturday, he said.

A lifelong sailor, Sunderland had begun her journey trying to be the youngest person to sail solo, nonstop around the world and continued her trip after mechanical failures dashed that dream.

She told searchers Friday that she was doing fine with a space heater and at least two weeks' worth of food, said family spokesman William Bennett. Support team member Jeff Casher said the boat had gotten knocked on its side several times.

Abby's father, Laurence Sunderland, thanked the Australian rescuers' quick response in sending out a search plane.

He told The Associated Press by telephone Friday that a fishing boat en route to his daughter's coordinates should arrive Saturday local time. The seas in the area are still choppy, but calmer than before. "It's all looking very promising," he said.

Her father rejected criticism that it was far too dangerous to allow a 16-year-old to sail around the world by herself.

"Sailing and life in general is dangerous. Teenagers drive cars. Does that mean teenagers shouldn't drive a car?" Laurence Sunderland told the AP. "I think people who hold that opinion have lost their zeal for life. They're living in a cotton-wool tunnel to make everything safe."

Abby's brother, Zac, himself a veteran of a solo sail around the world at age 17, said he told his sister to be prepared for storms and other problems. But he said it's in her nature to handle those calmly.

"I think Abby is quite a conqueror, quite level-headed," her brother said on ABC's "Good Morning America" on Friday.

But renowned Australian round-the-world sailor Ian Kiernan said Abby should not have been in the southern Indian Ocean during the current southern hemisphere winter.

"Abby would be going through a very difficult time with mountainous seas and essentially hurricane-force winds," Kiernan told Sky News television.

Conditions can quickly become perilous for any sailor exposed to the elements in that part of the world.

Sunderland — whose father is a shipwright and has a yacht management company — set sail from Los Angeles County's Marina del Rey in her boat, Wild Eyes, on Jan. 23 in an attempt to become the youngest person to sail around the world alone without stopping. Her brother briefly held the record in 2009.

Sunderland soon ran into equipment problems and had to stop for repairs. She gave up the goal of setting the record in April, but continued.

On May 15, Australian 16-year-old Jessica Watson claimed the record after completing a 23,000-mile (37,000-kilometer) circumnavigation in 210 days. Watson and her family sent a private message of hope to Sunderland's family, spokesman Andrew Fraser said.

Friday's communication with Abby was the first since satellite phone communications were lost early Thursday.

She had made several broken calls to her family in Thousand Oaks, California, reporting her yacht was being tossed by 30-foot (9-meter) waves — as tall as a 3-story building. An hour after her last call ended, her emergency beacons began signaling.

The search plane — a chartered Qantas Airbus A330 jet that left Perth early Friday — jet faced a 4,700-mile (7,600-kilometer) round trip from Perth to Sunderland's boat, which is near the limit of its range.

Qantas spokesman Tom Woodward said the airliner flew five hours out to sea to reach the area where the beacons were transmitting, then maneuvered for another hour before spotting the 40-foot (13-meter) yacht. In all, it hovered over the site for two hours, Qantas said.

The Australian maritime authority did not say how much the rescue mission would cost but said it would not be seeking compensation for the search, which initially fell just outside of Australia's search and rescue region.

"That's the way the system runs," search coordinator Kinley said. "It's our obligation to do this and we'll fulfill those obligations as Australia does."

The CROSS maritime rescue center on the island of Reunion, off Madagascar, said it had sent three boats in her direction and they were expected to reach her Saturday.

Philippe Museux, CROSS director, told French RFO television station in Reunion that it had asked a fishing boat to head to the zone.

Sunderland left Cape Town, South Africa, on May 21 and on Monday reached the halfway point of her voyage.

On Wednesday, she wrote in her log that it had been a rough few days with huge seas that had her boat "rolling around like crazy."

Information on her website said that as of June 8, she had completed a 2,100-mile (3,400-kilometer) leg from South Africa to north of the Kerguelen Islands, taking a route to avoid an ice hazard area. Ahead of her lay more than 2,100 miles (3,400 kilometers) of ocean on a 10- to 16-day leg to a point south of Cape Leeuwin on the southwest tip of Australia.

___

Associated Press writers Jacob Adelman and Nardine Saad and photographer Mark Terrill in Thousand Oaks, California; and John Antczak, Alicia Chang, Christina Hoag, Shaya Tayefe Mohajer, Denise Petski and Sue Manning in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

[Cathy Monaghan]

http://www.soundingsonline.com/news/dis ... -uninjured

[Dick Barthel]

I hate that there are already people out there saying "I told you so", when in fact, her ability to get through a crisis at sea and deal with an emergency properly will in fact be evidence that she was absolutely able to take on this voyage.

A special young lady with much skill to be sure and thank God she is safe. But wouldn't it be interesting to know if she realized the perils of being in the southern Indian Ocean in the southern hemisphere winter or not? If she did maybe that makes her a bit reckless and daring. If she didn't maybe that suggests she is still learning a respect for nature and is lucky enough to be getting another chance. It is hard to image what she must have been enduring.

[alan cohen]

A pretty amazing story to be sure. And an even more amazing young lady. I have never been in a sailboat in 35' seas and can't imagine what that must be like. But since no one's getting out of 'this' alive, if I had my choice, I'd rather go that way than sitting in an easy chair with a clicker in one hand and a piece of fried chicken in the other.

I like her father's attitude and whole-heartedly agree that we place way too much value on absolute safety at all costs these days. Most kids growing up now have no chance of experiencing any sense of adventure or danger. Rather than playing outside for hours at a time on their own, they are shuttled from play date to play date and kept on as tight a leash as possible. Parents need to know where they are at all times. It's a shame in my opinion.

[Russell]

A special young lady with much skill to be sure and thank God she is safe. But wouldn't it be interesting to know if she realized the perils of being in the southern Indian Ocean in the southern hemisphere winter or not? If she did maybe that makes her a bit reckless and daring. If she didn't maybe that suggests she is still learning a respect for nature and is lucky enough to be getting another chance. It is hard to image what she must have been enduring.

Give her experience, in addition to the experience of her family and support team, I have no doubt she knew what she was in for just as well as any first time vendee globe entrant would be.

Keep in mind before even setting off she had more sea miles then the bulk of this board combined. By the time she reached this halfway point where she ran into trouble she had added on to that considerably. I have no double that she did and does fully respect nature and even before setting out on this trip knew more about what it can ditch out then most of us do. This was not just any old teenager.

Was she in the southern ocean the "wrong" time of year? Absolutely she was, but fully knowing this her route was far futhur north then would be normal in such a voyage. Was it daring to take on the southern ocean in the winter? Yes. Reckless? I do not think so, she had a very capable and well fit boat in addition to the skills to manage it. Lets remember she was handling seas and winds far far worse just days before her dismasting and was in no way in trouble or having difficulty handling the situation. There are many voyages that have been made in the "wrong" time of year, going the "wrong" way, and all sorts of "wrongs". She had a stroke of bad luck with the dismasting, lets remember that each Vendee globe, sailed also in Open class boats, barely a third of the entries finish the trip. If she was not 16 no one would be pointing their fingers and judging the way they are. I fully beleive, especially in the case of this young lady, that the number 16 is entirely meaningless.

I am sure she will start planning the next voyage as soon as she returns to dry land, and I for one look forward to following that one as well.

[John Vigor]

It wasn't the girl. It was the boat, and the people who chose it.

http://johnvigor.blogspot.com/2010/05/p ... quits.html

John V.