why sailing?

let us add a bit of controversy in this blog: did anyone watch the 20/20 last week where the 16 year old Aussie girl and the 16 year old American girl were sailing around the world each alone? The question was; were they too young to make such a voyage? My father was 65 when he and my mom made their voyage, was he too old? I am not saying anyone can make that trip. It takes a level of maturity and skill to sail alone or with a crew for that matter. Sometimes, I think, having crew can make a sailing trip around the world far more difficult. These young women seemed well able to make such a voyage. As for the parents, my father made me a full crew member at age 15. So when I was on watch I had full responsiblity for the boat and people on board. Was this wrong? I do not believe it was. I had enough experience, skill, and maturity to match any crew member we had aboard of any age. I think age to some degree is not the issue. Other factors are a stronger issue.----meg