Dutch authorities sue parents of 13 year-old to stop solo sail trip around the world

[IglooDame]

If she's anything like 99.9% of kids...then yeah, she won't work.

I think if the kid is responsible enough to sail a boat around the world, she is responsible enough to do her homework.

If she turns out to be not actually responsible enough to sail a boat around the world, falling behind in schooling will be the least of her problems.

"If you don't do your work, you get no TV privileges! Seriously, don't make me hire a yacht, and make me come all the way over there "

Yeah, because parents have no leverage whatsoever on their children if they're not physically present.

Abnd FWIW, I find homeschooling a pretty atrocious idea in the first place.

Yeah, I know. We disagree.

 

[Yared]

You didn't, specifically, and I'm sorry for implying that you did. What I was trying to point out is that the dangers of piracy are fundamentally the same whether there's an adult crewing the boat or not, thus not really a factor in criticizing a singlehander's decision to sail.

Aha CHARACTERs

 

[downtown]

If she's anything like 99.9% of kids...then yeah, she won't work.

99.9% of kids don't have the self discipline to sail around the world. I'd say she's a special breed.

 

[innonimatu]

The thing I'm most concerned about is her becoming psychologically impaired due to spending a couple of years on some boat in the middle of nowhere all alone.

Only if you understand "psychologically impaired" to mean "deviant from the norm". And it would be a bad thing indeed if governments were recognized the right to set the norm for mental health to that degree... they already have some of the tools to do it in the school system, and (symptomatically) intend to use exactly that as an excuse to step in to forbid this trip.

I'm with IglooDude on this one too.

 

[Cheetah]

Is this the wrong place to point out that when I was 13 I worked from three (when I finished school) till nine in a mine and I was grateful for it!

The "and I was grateful for it!" part reminds me of four yorkshiremen I know...

Anyway, I understand that "unusual" doesn't need to mean "ungood", and even though more and more examples of young sailors are brought to my attention in this thread, I still think it is somewhat irresponsible to let kids travel by themselves all over the world.

 

[Flying Pig]

More to the point, it's illegal. Parents have a duty to protect their children, so to put them where they can't protect them is against that.

 

[Shadylookin]

Yeah, because parents have no leverage whatsoever on their children if they're not physically present.

Without physical presence what exactly can a parent do? Oh sure pops I promise I'll abide by your punishment while I'm in the middle of the pacific and you can't do jack about it.

99.9% of kids don't have the self discipline to sail around the world. I'd say she's a special breed.

It's a just a specialization. Plenty of people are disciplined in one area, but you can't trust them not to blow all their cash on scratch off tickets.

Besides email isn't really a substitute for being in class. So even if she manages to not die, when she gets back she'll be behind her peers

 

[Shylock]

If she wants to risk her own life with the blessing of her parents, what right does the state have to stop it?

What is with this super-protective attitude of society to protect every single person from any kind of danger? It's not like she is even threatening anyone else's safety, she won't even be in their jurisdiction 99.9% of the time anyway.

99.9% of kids don't have the self discipline to sail around the world. I'd say she's a special breed.

That's because no one ever taught them to be responsible and disciplined.

It's a just a specialization. Plenty of people are disciplined in one area, but you can't trust them not to blow all their cash on scratch off tickets.

Besides email isn't really a substitute for being in class. So even if she manages to not die, when she gets back she'll be behind her peers

When(if) she comes back, she'll be an accomplished sailor with salt water in her veins. Everyone doesn't need to be like everyone else. She probably doesn't need a college education to get an overpriced degree they may not even use like most people. Who cares if she can't write a good literary analysis essay?

 

[innonimatu]

More to the point, it's illegal. Parents have a duty to protect their children, so to put them where they can't protect them is against that.

I don't know the specified plans for that voyage, but I gauss that they'd be closely following it. In the end it comes to a calculation of what is a reasonable risk. Is it more or less riskier than, say, allowing children to play near streets with heavy traffic? They'd be at risk there also, a moment's distraction could lead to death...

 

[downtown]

It's a just a specialization. Plenty of people are disciplined in one area, but you can't trust them not to blow all their cash on scratch off tickets.

Besides email isn't really a substitute for being in class. So even if she manages to not die, when she gets back she'll be behind her peers

I don't think it really matters. She has a world class skill. Other young people who are world class at a particular thing (acting, athletics, music) are pulled out of traditional high school and are given private tutors or complete their diploma via correspondence. There are online schools for this in virtually every state.

I would be confident that somebody who has those navigation skills can complete 14 year old math.

 

[IglooDame]

Without physical presence what exactly can a parent do? Oh sure pops I promise I'll abide by your punishment while I'm in the middle of the pacific and you can't do jack about it.

Parental authority isn't purely about reward and punishment. But, there could be (say) daily codes to be entered to turn on the radio, or video games, or what-have-you, for example. Give me more than fifteen seconds and I could probably come up with even better techniques.

It's a just a specialization. Plenty of people are disciplined in one area, but you can't trust them not to blow all their cash on scratch off tickets.

And I'd suspect that the parents of the girl are pretty clear about whatever gambling and procrastination problems she might have.

Besides email isn't really a substitute for being in class. So even if she manages to not die, when she gets back she'll be behind her peers

Email isn't a substitute for being in class. But videos, books, email, occasional radio or instant-messenger chats can make for adequate educational materials.

 

[Yeekim]

I am quite sure that with today's technology, it would be feasible, in theory, to even have an autopilot to take a ship around the world.
I believe a skilled 13-year old can do it.

 

[J-man]

Email isn't a substitute for being in class. But videos, books, email, occasional radio or instant-messenger chats can make for adequate educational materials.

Those are better then just E-mail but I don't think anything substitutes for being in class.

 

[aelf]

Can you legally drive when you're 14? If not, then I guess it's hard to say that you can do this when you're 14.

 

[Shadylookin]

When(if) she comes back, she'll be an accomplished sailor with salt water in her veins. Everyone doesn't need to be like everyone else. She probably doesn't need a college education to get an overpriced degree they may not even use like most people. Who cares if she can't write a good literary analysis essay?

Well being an accomplished sail boater doesn't really put food on the table. It's kind of a century or so behind the times.

I don't think it really matters. She has a world class skill. Other young people who are world class at a particular thing (acting, athletics, music) are pulled out of traditional high school and are given private tutors or complete their diploma via correspondence. There are online schools for this in virtually every state.

I would be confident that somebody who has those navigation skills can complete 14 year old math.

You can't have a private tutor on a solo misson.

Parental authority isn't purely about reward and punishment. But, there could be (say) daily codes to be entered to turn on the radio, or video games, or what-have-you, for example. Give me more than fifteen seconds and I could probably come up with even better techniques.

Well I'll ignore the fact that I've never heard of such a thing existing and go straight to the point that sailors probably need their radio for emergency purposes. If you cut off internet access then she can't do her homework. I'm guessing it's going to be a laptop with a satellite connection so I doubt you're going to be able to convince the satellite company to filter your daughters connection and make sure she only goes to homework related sites

And I'd suspect that the parents of the girl are pretty clear about whatever gambling and procrastination problems she might have.

Or they could just be bad parents.

Email isn't a substitute for being in class. But videos, books, email, occasional radio or instant-messenger chats can make for adequate educational materials.

I still don't think it's the same as physical presence in a class room with your peers.

 

[Yared]

How big does your solar cells need to be to run a laptop (assume the parents are really rich)?

 

[Flying Pig]

You don't need to be able to read a map nowadays - I did it once with only an FM radio and a compass (not intentionally). It's not actually a very difficult task; I found it boring. Still, I made the people at Help for Heroes very happy!

 

[Theige]

She's too young to do such a dangerous activity like that. There are age restrictions on sky-diving and bungee jumping too. When she's 16 (or 18 or whatever it is in NL) then she can do it.

Those restrictions apply within a nations own borders. What right do they have to go out and retrieve her from international waters? Or from another country when she stops.

 

[Jazzmail]

Compulsory education is for everyone below 18 by law. The state must intervene.

It is impossible for a 13 year old to have attained a starter qualification, so there's no way out of it. The girl will go to school.

 

[Shadylookin]

How big does your solar cells need to be to run a laptop (assume the parents are really rich)?

well the One laptop per child group had a laptop that could be charged with solar power and had a long battery life. They were able to do it for 200 bucks and this was before the netbook craze so I'm guessing it wouldn't take anything very expensive.