Secret Squirrel:Ban Minors From The Sea?

Secret Squirrel has pondered the idiocy of minors attempting to sail around the world,alone,let alone to operate vessels at sea on their own,not accompanied by at least two knowledgeable,trained, adults. Now let’s review the issue. The American 16 year old trying to sail around the world has been found, rescued,in the Indian ocean.Of course to rescue her, it cost money, lots of money, a great expense, and an unnecessary expense when we get down to brass tacks, and the risk of lives,human lives, lives have been lost at sea searching for and trying to rescue people. Now who bears the cost of such idiocy?

Well,in Canada, if the government has to rescue you, etc, say climbing a mountain etc. happily, all round for your idiocy, they present you with……….a bill…………..yes.you have a bill to pay……also they do see to it you don’t do it again as some are wont to do.I recall,personally, years back some I knew(as in my parents knew their parents), were lost on a mountain.They made the press, dozens went out searching, helicopters etc the whole football field was necessary.They were found,they were rescued. Later I saw one of the lads in a local club hall, there he was quite happy, even yet talked of doing it again.Yes! Again! Imagine!Then a cloud darkened his horizon, I mentioned that soon, he was going to be presented with the government’s bill of the rescue.While it darkened his day, it brightened mine.Yes, there was the glorious thought of what was coming for him, and now he could brood over it,(I am a touch a gloater)and imaginings of the expression on his face when he actually saw the bill. Indeed,yet also, the government informing him, that he (they)wasn’t(weren’t) to do it again.

We also recall, the Dutch government which banned a 14 year old from attempting the same sailing event as the American girl did.The American government, and press, encouraged them to proceed in such a fashion. Obviously the American government should ban theirs from doing the same,indeed all governments should proceed to do so. The sea is a dangerous place, a place for adults, who get in to enough trouble as it is. Indeed it is a time to act, to act sensibly, and ban such ridiculous attempts by minors,by all minors, by all nations.All nations can on their own,ban minors from operating vessels,sailing vessel etc., and can thence act on their own to seize vessels in violation,and deal with attempts at the matter at hand.Indeed laws can further be enacted, such that minors,can only sail,for example, on any kind of boat, if accompanied by a responsible adult,minimally,though two would be best and much more sensible,especially at sea.Alternatively, each nation can have it’s own local control area law, where minors, under it’s supervision, as in laws, may sail, within a certain control area limit from it’s own shores, say encompassing the fishing zone area, 200 miles from the shore of most nations.This would be such that the nation itself would be responsible for it’s own minors, but yet they would NOT become a dangerous search and rescue burden on OTHER nations of the world,and endanger irresponsibly,needlessly,and heedlessly, their search and rescue persons.