The Teenage Solo Sailor Syndrome

0

For 11 years, Ive resisted the urge to write about teenage circumnavigators. The last time I did, the protagonist was a young man named Brian Caldwell, the son of cruising sailors who, in 1998 at age 19, briefly held the title of youngest singlehanded circumnavigator. I probably wouldnt have had the pleasure of knowing Brian, except that he happened to stop for repairs in Port Vila, Vanuatu, while my wife and I were there. His 26-foot Contessa was anchored a stones throw away from our Atkin ketch, and the story was too compelling to pass up.

Brian Caldwell

I filed a few more stories as Brians voyage unfolded, and then it was over. A few months later, a young Australian bumped Brian from the record books. Brian turned toward his next goal of ocean racing singlehanded (www.liquidflight.net), and I decided never again to write about “youngest” quests. The current wave of young circumnavigators-whose names I purposely wont mention here-drove me to break that promise.

In 1997, when 7-year-old Jessica Dubroff died in a crash while trying to become the youngest trans-continental pilot, audience backlash prompted some talk shows to stop publicizing attempts to become the “youngest” in certain high-risk ventures. Like teenage suicides, the subject should be taboo for obvious reasons. Are TV ratings or newsstand sales worth putting dozens of fame-seeking copycats at risk? When the media fuels these follies, it also must bear the burden for their predictable consequences.

Of course, in the Internet age, any fool scheme is news and the moral high ground is a low-tide sandbar. A 13-year-olds plans for an around-the-world sailing adventure pales in comparison to the half-baked schemes on the Internet and cable TV.

I personally am not against the idea of an experienced and safely equipped teen setting off to sea by herself, but there is one practical issue to overcome: Solo sailing necessarily violates good watchkeeping standards and can put others at risk. For these and other reasons, this magazine cannot support it without grave reservations.

A better rite of passage, in my opinion, would be the type of experience enjoyed by the crew in the Disney film Morning Light, in which well-trained young adults work together toward a common goal-in this case the 2007 Transpacific Yacht Race. (They need not be so blatantly photogenic.)

Whether alone or with others, offshore sailing involves prolonged periods of introspection interrupted by exhausting, mission-critical tasks, two character-building activities that are in short supply among teens these days.

What worries me though is that the real message of the “teen sailor” story has been lost in the hype. When taken in the right context, the adventures of these young sailors inspire others to greatness in their own chosen fields. “You can do anything you set your mind to” is a powerful and unselfish lesson to pass on.

Unfortunately, this is not the message I am picking up from the current crop of young soloists. Instead of “Look what YOU can do,” Im hearing “Look what I can do.” To me, these wunderkind sailors are starting to sound like, well . . . teenagers.

May good fortune be on their side, even when good sense is not.

Also with this article...
Darrell Nicholson
Practical Sailor has been independently testing and reporting on sailboats and sailing gear for more than 50 years. Supported entirely by subscribers, Practical Sailor accepts no advertising. Its independent tests are carried out by experienced sailors and marine industry professionals dedicated to providing objective evaluation and reporting about boats, gear, and the skills required to cross oceans. Practical Sailor is edited by Darrell Nicholson, a long-time liveaboard sailor and trans-Pacific cruiser who has been director of Belvoir Media Group's marine division since 2005. He holds a U.S. Coast Guard 100-ton Master license, has logged tens of thousands of miles in three oceans, and has skippered everything from pilot boats to day charter cats. His weekly blog Inside Practical Sailor offers an inside look at current research and gear tests at Practical Sailor, while his award-winning column,"Rhumb Lines," tracks boating trends and reflects upon the sailing life. He sails a Sparkman & Stephens-designed Yankee 30 out of St. Petersburg, Florida. You can reach him by email at practicalsailor@belvoir.com.