Reality of Life
09 April 2014 | La Playita
Well, I have now been asked more than 20 times "Did I hear about that family..."
So, I have to respond. My heart goes out to them for having to have gone through that experience. And how wonderful that everything turned out OK.
Some thoughts:
-They are not that unusual. There are about 10,000 boats cruising the world at any given time.
-And there are lots of kids on boats, and kids of all ages. In Panama, where we have been there has been a steady stream of boats with kids. Often 2 or 3 at a time in our one anchorage.
-People on boats spend a lot of time thinking about safety (note that Isobel, even though she is wearing little else, is in a harness, tethered to the boat. This is standard practice when boats are underway. In one of the photos of one of the kids on Rebel Heart, shows her in a similar harness.
-Most people on land have become accustomed to the dangers they live with: Texting while driving, alcohol and driving, abduction, guns in schools, etc...
-My mother, now 98, once said to me (I had announced that I would give up beer and take flying lessons), "you don't know when you will be hit by a truck, so make sure you get the most out of life. Do those things that you want to do, now."
Sometimes things don't go as planned. On boats, we have contingency plans for all sorts of things. And the Kauffman's did the right thing. They were prepared with a plan and they were safely rescued.
I am sorry that they have become a lightning rod. All of us in the cruising community wish them well and I welcome anyone who wants to say they are crazy to have a chat with me. But before you call or write, review what the risks are in your life and what you have done to prepare for those risks.