Originally Posted by
Duffster 
The parents of these boys have gotten a lot of judgment and criticism from people out of state for letting them go out on a boat alone at 14 and even as "controlling" as I am I think that's ridiculous. These kids are raised on the water and I don't want to hold my own kids back from living the life that's just so natural for them.
When I was a wee laddy, like from 5 to 10, I wandered my grandparents 200 acre farm alone. Pastures, fields, woods, pond, streams, it was all open to me and no one thought anyone negligent if I disappeared for a few hours.
The nanny state is getting a bit overbearing.