[Rhodes22-list] Jessica Watson

BenCittadino bencittadino at gmail.com
Fri Jan 29 23:50:55 EST 2010


Chris;

Thanks for the serious thought and effort you put into your comments. I
thought this discussion might help keep the list alive through the winter.
Some folks seem to be enjoying it. Others... not so much.

On a separate subject, where in Greece is your son? Were you serious about
Rhodes?  Do you know the country well? My wife and I will be taking a
Seabourn cruise this Spring and I may want to pick your brain on a back
channel as Greece is on the itinerary. I know your surname suggests a Greek
heritage, but my surname suggests an Italian heritage and I can barely order
dinner in the language much less find my way around the countryside.

BenC

 

Geankoplis wrote:
> 
> Ben, a thought,
> You know it is interesting, there are a lot of kids her age and younger
> who
> have done trans Pacific and trans Atlantic voyages and even
> circumnavigations while growing up on their parent's boat.  It is
> interesting that no one from these backgrounds with extensive experience
> in
> voyaging has attempted such a voyage.....I wonder why?  No point being
> made
> just curious.  My son had been sailing since before he could walk and we
> sailed all over the Chesapeake, and he was on several Caribbean charters
> and
> crewed on a delivery from the U.S. V.I. to Ft. Lauderdale.  I would
> consider
> that a minimum before a young person goes out on an independent voyage.
> Chris G.
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: rhodes22-list-bounces at rhodes22.org
> [mailto:rhodes22-list-bounces at rhodes22.org] On Behalf Of BenCittadino
> Sent: Wednesday, January 27, 2010 09:13
> To: rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org
> Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Jessica Watson
> 
> 
> Here is what the wikipedia site has to report about Jessica (in part):
> 
> Her journey has been heavily criticised, particularly after the collision
> with the freighter. Barry Tyler of Pacific Motor Yacht magazine wrote,
> "like
> the majority of the seafaring world [I] consider it irresponsible,
> cavalier
> and indeed ignorant to attempt such a feat, at such a tender age and with
> so
> little trans-ocean experience."[7] Questions about her experience were
> also
> expressed by Phil Jones, the CEO of Yachting Australia, and by Grant
> Wharington, the skipper of Skandia, with Wharington stating that he had
> been
> impressed by Watson when they had met, but that he had advised her to gain
> experience by undertaking a number of shorter solo passages before
> attempting the circumnavigation, although she chosen not to follow his
> advice. In addition, Wharington noted that the report into her collision
> displayed evidence of what he referred to as "schoolboy errors".[8] A more
> general concern was raised by the Australian Childhood Foundation, who
> questioned whether a 16 year old would have the ability to fully
> understand
> the risks that such a venture would involve.[9]
> 
> Nevertheless, Watson has had her supporters. In particular, adventurer Don
> McIntyre strongly supported her attempt, providing her with a boat and
> speaking in support of her attempt.[10] Similarly, Tony Mowbray, who, like
> McIntyre, has previously circumnavigated the globe, provided his support,
> arguing that she was "doing it for the right reasons" and that he was
> confident of her success.[11] The captain of the Magic Roundabout spoke
> highly of her skills, backing her circumnavigation attempt by describing
> her
> as a "damn-good crew member" and stating that he believed that she
> possessed
> the necessary abilities.[12] Also adventurer and company owner Richard
> Branson gave his support before departure.[13]
> 
> During her journey others have expressed their support for her attempt.
> Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said in a public speech on 26 January
> that "Jessica Watson ... is an extraordinary young Australian"[14]
> According
> to ABC News, competing circumnavigator Abby Sunderland congratulated
> Jessica
> on rounding Cape Horn, "She's done an amazing job and I hope the rest of
> her
> trip goes as well as it has so far."[15]
> 
> 
> I just hope her parents don't come to regret this. I don't believe I could
> live with myself if I were her Dad and she was seriously injured or
> killed. 
> 
> But I must say I am fascinated by the divergence of opinion about this.
> 
> BenC
> 
> 
> 
> Hank-5 wrote:
>> 
>> Her brother completed an around the world assissted run last summer.
>> 
>> Hank
>> 
>> On 1/27/10, ejor2 at aol.com <ejor2 at aol.com> wrote:
>>>
>>> Here's another one going for it..
>>>
>>> www.abbysunderland.com
>>>
>>> It's amazing how different the two seem, from boat choice to reasons for
>>> trying...
>>>
>>> As a parent of teens, I'd much rather have them have the ambition to do
>>> something than see them attached to the sofa with a game controller in
>>> there
>>> hand or out running around with a pack and getting into trouble. Kids
>>> are
>>> all so different, out of my 3, there is only one I'd even consider
>>> letting
>>> do something like this, if they had the skills and tools nessesary.
>>>
>>>
>>> Eric
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: R22RumRunner at aol.com
>>> To: rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org
>>> Sent: Wed, Jan 27, 2010 4:34 am
>>> Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Jessica Watson
>>>
>>>
>>> Ben,
>>>  respectfully must tell you that you are wrong on this one. I'm glad she
>>> on't grow up to be another sheep in the herd. Who knows? She may not
>>> omplete  the voyage, but at least she had the will to try.
>>>
>>> ummy
>>>
>>>
>>> n a message dated 1/26/2010 10:23:26 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,
>>> encittadino at gmail.com writes:
>>>
>>>   was thinking that her parents sound like "balloon boy" types. I agree
>>> er
>>> kill level may be high, but there are certain things we don't let 
>>> parents
>>> et their children do as civilized people. Regardless of  "special
>>> ircumstances" or a high level of maturity, we don't allow  children to
>>> rive
>>> ars until a certain age, or join the army, or drink in a  tavern, or
>>> onsent
>>> o sex, or sign contracts or a million other things they  as individuals
>>> ight be able to handle. My point was that this child is too  young to
>>> fully
>>> ppreciate the dangers of this stunt (and stunt is what it  is). She
>>> isn't
>>> ld enough to consent to having a tooth pulled, but these  clowns send
>>> her
>>> ff, or allow her to go off,  in a 34' sailboat to  sail the high seas.
>>> Her
>>> arents are nuts (not to put too fine a point on  it); but that's just my
>>> pinion. I could be wrong.
>>> yours  truly,
>>> BenC
>>>
>>>
>>> ohn Shulick wrote:
>>>
>>>  The  lesson this spoiled brat will learn is that she is above the rules
>>>   established for normal people in this country. Check me if I'm wrong 
>>> but
>>>  don't 16 yr. olds have to go to high school. O I'm sorry that's  only
>>>  required for people who can't buy their way out of the system.  See
>>> Tiger
>>>  Woods for more examples of sticking your finger up the laws  ass. If I
>>>  smashed up a car while on prescription meds what do you  think would
>>>  happen? Could I tell the law when I will decide to meet  with them or
>>> ould
>>>  I be hauled off to the nearest hospital foe a blood  test. The lesson
>>> she
>>>  learns will be that rules don't apply to her.
>>>
>>>
>>>  R22RumRunner wrote:
>>>>
>>>>  Ben,
>>>> The life lessons this "little" girl will have when she  finishes this
>>>> voyage
>>>>  will benefit her for an  entire lifetime. Nothing wrong with being
>>>> independent  and  being able to do things for oneself. I'm sure that
>>>> her
>>>> parents
>>>> would never  have allowed her to do this if she wasn't  qualified. She
>>>> must have
>>>> tremendous  sailing  skills.
>>>>
>>>> Rummy
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> In a message dated 1/26/2010 11:33:38 A.M.  Eastern Standard Time,
>>>> bencittadino at gmail.com  writes:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Rummy, Ben &  Chris;
>>>>
>>>> Please tell me you guys are just  jerkin'  my chain. You don't really
>>>> think
>>>> it's OK to send a  child to sea  alone in a quest for...what?...some
>>>>  stupid
>>>> "record". Maybe we should stock  her up with plenty of  Mt. Gay? I have
>>>> real
>>>> problems with our  "celebrity"  culture and this case just pushes my
>>>>  buttons
>>>> for some reason. Don't worry,  I'll get over it as  soon as the
>>>> medicine
>>>> kicks
>>>> in.
>>>>
>>>> BenC
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>  Geankoplis wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>> Hey I think it  is  great, beats joy riding with a bunch of drunk 18
>>> ear
>>>>>  old
>>>>>  boyfriends.
>>>>>
>>>>>  Chris
>>>>>
>>>>> -----Original   Message-----
>>>>> From:  rhodes22-list-bounces at rhodes22.org
>>>>>   [mailto:rhodes22-list-bounces at rhodes22.org] On Behalf Of  Benjamin
>>>>>  Cittadino
>>>>> Sent: Monday, January  25, 2010 11:11
>>>>> To:   rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org
>>>>> Subject: [Rhodes22-list]  Jessica  Watson
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Does anybody else think the  parents of this child  should be in jail?
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> BenCittadino
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>  __________________________________________________
>>>>> To   subscribe/unsubscribe go to
>>>>>   http://www.rhodes22.org/mailman/listinfo/rhodes22-list
>>>>>
>>>>> For  the list Charter and help with using the mailing  list and
>>>>> archives
>>>>> go
>>>>>  to
>>>>>  http://www.rhodes22.org/list
>>>>>   __________________________________________________
>>>>>
>>>>>   __________________________________________________
>>>>> To   subscribe/unsubscribe go to
>>>>>   http://www.rhodes22.org/mailman/listinfo/rhodes22-list
>>>>>
>>>>> For  the list Charter and help with using the mailing  list and
>>>>> archives
>>>>> go
>>>>>  to  http://www.rhodes22.org/list
>>>>>   __________________________________________________
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> View this  message in context:
>>>>
>>>
> ttp://old.nabble.com/Looking-for-a-Rhodes22-in-SW-Mihcigan-tp27047182p273255
> 51.html
>>>>  Sent  from the Rhodes 22 mailing list archive at   Nabble.com.
>>>>
>>>>  __________________________________________________
>>>> To   subscribe/unsubscribe go to
>>>>  http://www.rhodes22.org/mailman/listinfo/rhodes22-list
>>>>
>>>> For the list  Charter and help with using the mailing list  and
>>>> archives
>>>> go
>>>> to   http://www.rhodes22.org/list
>>>>  __________________________________________________
>>>>
>>>>  __________________________________________________
>>>> To  subscribe/unsubscribe go to
>>>>  http://www.rhodes22.org/mailman/listinfo/rhodes22-list
>>>>
>>>> For the list Charter and help with using the mailing list and  archives
>>> o
>>>> to http://www.rhodes22.org/list
>>>>  __________________________________________________
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> iew this message in context:
>>>
> ttp://old.nabble.com/Looking-for-a-Rhodes22-in-SW-Mihcigan-tp27047182p273335
> 96.html
>>> ent  from the Rhodes 22 mailing list archive at  Nabble.com.
>>> __________________________________________________
>>> o  subscribe/unsubscribe go to
>>> ttp://www.rhodes22.org/mailman/listinfo/rhodes22-list
>>> For the list  Charter and help with using the mailing list and archives
>>> go
>>> o  http://www.rhodes22.org/list
>>> _________________________________________________
>>> __________________________________________________
>>> o subscribe/unsubscribe go to
>>> http://www.rhodes22.org/mailman/listinfo/rhodes22-list
>>> For the list Charter and help with using the mailing list and archives
>>> go
>>> to
>>> ttp://www.rhodes22.org/list
>>> _________________________________________________
>>>
>>> __________________________________________________
>>> To subscribe/unsubscribe go to
>>> http://www.rhodes22.org/mailman/listinfo/rhodes22-list
>>>
>>> For the list Charter and help with using the mailing list and archives
>>> go
>>> to
>>> http://www.rhodes22.org/list
>>> __________________________________________________
>>>
>> __________________________________________________
>> To subscribe/unsubscribe go to
>> http://www.rhodes22.org/mailman/listinfo/rhodes22-list
>> 
>> For the list Charter and help with using the mailing list and archives go
>> to http://www.rhodes22.org/list
>> __________________________________________________
>> 
>> 
> 
> -- 
> View this message in context:
> http://old.nabble.com/Looking-for-a-Rhodes22-in-SW-Mihcigan-tp27047182p27343
> 353.html
> Sent from the Rhodes 22 mailing list archive at Nabble.com.
> 
> __________________________________________________
> To subscribe/unsubscribe go to
> http://www.rhodes22.org/mailman/listinfo/rhodes22-list
> 
> For the list Charter and help with using the mailing list and archives go
> to
> http://www.rhodes22.org/list
> __________________________________________________
> 
> __________________________________________________
> To subscribe/unsubscribe go to
> http://www.rhodes22.org/mailman/listinfo/rhodes22-list
> 
> For the list Charter and help with using the mailing list and archives go
> to http://www.rhodes22.org/list
> __________________________________________________
> 
> 

-- 
View this message in context: http://old.nabble.com/Looking-for-a-Rhodes22-in-SW-Mihcigan-tp27047182p27381408.html
Sent from the Rhodes 22 mailing list archive at Nabble.com.



More information about the Rhodes22-list mailing list