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kunlun_shan
Mountain climber
SF, CA
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Jun 12, 2010 - 03:11pm PT
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Just read on Abby's blog that she is on a French fishing vessel, abandoning her boat and eventually heading back for California:
http://soloround.blogspot.com/
...and from another news story: Family spokesman Jeff Casher said Sunderland's vessel was so badly damaged, her attempt to circle the globe was over.
"This is the end of the dream. There's no boat to sail," he said
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Chaz
Trad climber
greater Boss Angeles area
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Jun 12, 2010 - 03:23pm PT
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Around the World adventure is one thing, but it's pretty irresponsible of her parents to let a 16-year-old go off someplace where she might be picked up in the middle of nowhere by a boat-load of French fisherman.
God knows how long it's been since any of them saw a woman.
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rlf
Trad climber
Josh, CA
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Jun 12, 2010 - 03:41pm PT
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Glad to hear she's ok!
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mike m
Trad climber
black hills
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Jun 12, 2010 - 05:05pm PT
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I wonder who is paying for the rescue? Does gieko cover the towing?
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Wade Icey
Trad climber
www.alohashirtrescue.com
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Jun 12, 2010 - 05:11pm PT
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maritime insurance would be my guess...or the french fishing boat.
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Chaz
Trad climber
greater Boss Angeles area
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Jun 12, 2010 - 06:30pm PT
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She'll probably end up working it off cleaning fish, while they take the long way back to France.
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guido
Trad climber
Santa Cruz/New Zealand/South Pacific
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Jun 12, 2010 - 07:16pm PT
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Tis a lonely and remote place indeed.
The late and great mounatineer Bill Tillman, on his yacht "Mischief," explored and climbed on Kerguelen Island.
Tillman was lost on his last voyage into the Southern Ocean in 1977.
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Jun 12, 2010 - 07:44pm PT
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With all the faux pirates around here, you'd think they'd have added something to the discussion, if only to deny culpability. Or are they busy pretending to be monkeys now?
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cliffhanger
Trad climber
California
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Jun 12, 2010 - 07:55pm PT
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She will be treated well by the French. Long distance solo sailors are great heroes in France. She will be revered by the French and the fishermen that saved her will be hailed as heroes for doing so. In the around the world alone sailing races about half of the sailors are French.
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pud
climber
Sportbikeville & Yucca brevifolia
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Jun 12, 2010 - 08:42pm PT
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Anybody know if she had a life insurance policy?
I would have done more homework on my planned route and seasons throughout before undertaking this voyage.
Even if my parents were pushing it.
The entire drama seems a little balloon boyish to me.
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nick d
Trad climber
nm
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Jun 12, 2010 - 09:09pm PT
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Hard to say on the gun issue. Lets say she had a AK-47, standing on the deck the profile of the gun might dissuade potential borders.
But it might not. Somalia coastal pirates seem to be the most active and they are big on holding hostages for ransom. I notice the big ships with the combined value of the boat and the cargo being over a billion dollars don't carry any real weapons.
They don't carry arms because the corporate view is they will just result in crew being killed and the boat being damaged. They usually negotiate and promptly pay the ransom.
So if she had a firearm do any of you believe she would come out ahead in a gunfight with a dozen armed pirates?
Maybe I could see having a well concealed handgun as a last ditch measure. But if forced to use it what would the consequences be?
I kinda think you might be killed immediately. I'd rather take my chances on talking to them and preserving my life. Surrendering would be a pretty weird experience, but that is what every big commercial entity operating in those waters orders their crews to do.
They have the most experience and arms just aren't part of most solutions.
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TomCochrane
Trad climber
Boulder Creek CA
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Jun 12, 2010 - 10:00pm PT
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a wise person is known by the smart things they don't say
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Jun 12, 2010 - 10:04pm PT
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If the fact that she sailed both Capes isn't enough then the fact that Geraldo has assailed the parents seals it for me.
Go Abby!
I started soloing as a teenager, had some close calls, probably didn't know half of what I do now, but I learned.
Not everyone survives adventure sports, but I wouldn't have wanted everyone second guessing me.
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rlf
Trad climber
Josh, CA
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Jun 12, 2010 - 10:12pm PT
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Hey good for her for trying.
I sure wouldn't do it.
Especially since I don't know how to sail...
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shipoopoi
Big Wall climber
oakland
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Jun 12, 2010 - 10:18pm PT
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I don't think she is too young to go for it around the world. if her brother did it when he was just one year older. if she was immersed in sailing all her life. having read some stupendous stories of sailing the southern ocean, it seems that anyone can get rolled there, get demasted, lose communications, and that while sailing alone is generally not as safe as with a companion, it is one of the hardest feats of mankind to sail solo around the world. boats, and sometimes sailors are lost every year down here. She knew the risk, her parents knew it, her brother knew it. and the fact that she rounded the difficult tip of south america shows to me that she kind of knew what she was doing. shipoopoi
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tradmanclimbs
Ice climber
Pomfert VT
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Jun 12, 2010 - 10:43pm PT
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Nick d. Most of the big boats are armed now. Too much crazy sh#t.
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Jun 12, 2010 - 10:47pm PT
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John McPhee wrote a good essay about 20 years ago, called "Looking for a Ship". One of the issues he discussed was that of attacks on freighters and tankers. Ultimately the problem is that a modern vessel is very large, with a small crew. It's impossible to prevent boarders, and once they're on board, very difficult to prevent them from taking control without major weaponry and violence, and endangering both the crew and the vessel.
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pud
climber
Sportbikeville & Yucca brevifolia
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Jun 12, 2010 - 10:47pm PT
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"a wise person is known by the smart things they don't say"
Brilliant.
Oops, did I say that out loud?
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TomCochrane
Trad climber
Boulder Creek CA
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Jun 13, 2010 - 02:00am PT
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Interesting coincidence...we just returned from spending the evening recovering a 33' racing sailboat a few miles out in Monterey Bay: moderate seas, moderate winds, two tall and fit expert male sailors, senior computer professionals, mis-managed sails, broken mast, non-op engine...
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Slakkey
Big Wall climber
From Back to Big Wall Baby
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Jun 13, 2010 - 02:55am PT
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Tom C. :-)
Cliffhanger speaks truth in that if Abby were french and when she reached the homeland, they would more than likely have a parade for her upon her arrival. The French and Europeans are miles ahead of the U.S. still when it comes to short handed sailing. The very concept of the boat that Abby was sailing The Class 40 was developed in France. For several years now there have been a handful of designers like myself have here in The U.S. who have advocated boats of this type for short handed sailing. Classe 6.50,Open 30, Classe 950 Class 40 and even the larger IMOCA 60 and ECO 6os, A good deal of the technological advancements of boats such as this can be applied to more cruising oriented boats as well. No matter what one may think at least Abby had the right equipment and yes, even at the professional level of short handed sailing situations such as Abbys happen even to the best at a time that is often viewed as a more optimum time of year in which to sail in the very area that Abbys boat was found.
The debate on this will no doubt continue for some time and yes people have a right to an opinion yay or nay. but as Abbys dream has now ended another persons dream somewhere around the world has been born.
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