I'm a bit hesitant to post this here while you have a son aboard a sailboat, but it's so pertinent that I'm having trouble keeping myself from doing it. I hope it doesn't cause you more worry as a mother than you would otherwise have while your son is sailing.
About two years before my mother met her present husband, his daughter died in a sailing accident. She was his only child, and he had raised her as a single father. It was, of course, a devastating loss for him. If she had lived, she would be a couple of years older than me.
She was in her early 20s when she died, an experienced sailor herself, sailing with other experienced sailors, able to swim, and wearing a life jacket. She went overboard in cold water, and the standard maneuver to get someone out of the water failed on the first couple of attempts. She died of hypothermia.
I recognize that, statistically, that sort of accident is unlikely, but having that sort of close personal connection to anecdotal data does seem to sensitize a person (and a family) to the risks of the particular activity where the accident happened. It gives me, personally, a gut reaction to the idea of sailing that is probably way out of proportion to the actual level of risk associated with the activity.
On the other hand, the particular circumstances of her accident bring into clear focus for me the fact that sailing is an inherently dangerous activity, even for experienced people sailing with other experienced people.
I don't encounter a lot of opportunities to ride in small watercraft, but when those occasional opportunities do arise, I hesitate - not primarily because I am worried about the risk myself (I probably take a bigger risk commuting to work in a car), but because I am particularly sensitive to how horrible it would be for my mother and stepfather to lose me (my mother's only child) in a boating accident, unlikely as that may be.
I don't have any children of my own, but I imagine that I would attempt to steer them away from sailing much more so than I would attempt to steer them away from comparably risky activities, because of that sensitization my family and I have.
I was pretty horrified when I heard about Abby Sunderland being feared lost at sea. Some part of that was the particular sensitization to the hazards of sailing, but when I think about it now, I think more of it has to do with a deep level of wariness I have about these 'youngest person to...' record setting attempts. I just don't believe that the recent string of more and more youthful solo sailing record setters that Abby was attempting to be part of is a coincidence. Each of them set out on that endeavor when they did partially in order to make that record attempt, not just because they happened to be the youngest person ever to be inspired to try it. There was a recent youngest person to summit Everest that has me worried about a similar race to be the youngest to do that. And, of course, it seems clear to me that those sorts of races to the youngest will inevitably lead to a tragedy. The more I think about it, the more I think that if I had a child passionate about sailing around the world, climbing Everest, or the like, I would likely not allow them to make that attempt until after it was too late for them to get that 'youngest' distinction. If the passion is that strong, it can wait a year or two, with plenty of other opportunities to gain experience in their area of passion in the meantime.
no subject
About two years before my mother met her present husband, his daughter died in a sailing accident. She was his only child, and he had raised her as a single father. It was, of course, a devastating loss for him. If she had lived, she would be a couple of years older than me.
She was in her early 20s when she died, an experienced sailor herself, sailing with other experienced sailors, able to swim, and wearing a life jacket. She went overboard in cold water, and the standard maneuver to get someone out of the water failed on the first couple of attempts. She died of hypothermia.
I recognize that, statistically, that sort of accident is unlikely, but having that sort of close personal connection to anecdotal data does seem to sensitize a person (and a family) to the risks of the particular activity where the accident happened. It gives me, personally, a gut reaction to the idea of sailing that is probably way out of proportion to the actual level of risk associated with the activity.
On the other hand, the particular circumstances of her accident bring into clear focus for me the fact that sailing is an inherently dangerous activity, even for experienced people sailing with other experienced people.
I don't encounter a lot of opportunities to ride in small watercraft, but when those occasional opportunities do arise, I hesitate - not primarily because I am worried about the risk myself (I probably take a bigger risk commuting to work in a car), but because I am particularly sensitive to how horrible it would be for my mother and stepfather to lose me (my mother's only child) in a boating accident, unlikely as that may be.
I don't have any children of my own, but I imagine that I would attempt to steer them away from sailing much more so than I would attempt to steer them away from comparably risky activities, because of that sensitization my family and I have.
I was pretty horrified when I heard about Abby Sunderland being feared lost at sea. Some part of that was the particular sensitization to the hazards of sailing, but when I think about it now, I think more of it has to do with a deep level of wariness I have about these 'youngest person to...' record setting attempts. I just don't believe that the recent string of more and more youthful solo sailing record setters that Abby was attempting to be part of is a coincidence. Each of them set out on that endeavor when they did partially in order to make that record attempt, not just because they happened to be the youngest person ever to be inspired to try it. There was a recent youngest person to summit Everest that has me worried about a similar race to be the youngest to do that. And, of course, it seems clear to me that those sorts of races to the youngest will inevitably lead to a tragedy. The more I think about it, the more I think that if I had a child passionate about sailing around the world, climbing Everest, or the like, I would likely not allow them to make that attempt until after it was too late for them to get that 'youngest' distinction. If the passion is that strong, it can wait a year or two, with plenty of other opportunities to gain experience in their area of passion in the meantime.