A 16-year-old sailor was on her way home aboard a French fishing vessel Saturday, after her attempt to circumnavigate the globe solo came to an unsuccessful end in the southern Indian Ocean. Abby Sunderland was bruised but otherwise unharmed, her parents said after speaking with her.
"She sounded tired, a little bit small in her voice, but she was able to make jokes and she was looking forward to getting some sleep," her mother said.
Two days ago, Sunderland lost contact with her family and sent out a distress signal after a massive wave wrecked her sailboat.
She was picked up more than 3,200 kilometres from Australia's western coastline, boarding French ship Ile De La Reunion on Saturday afternoon, according to the Australian Maritime Safety Authority.
In about two days she will be transferred to a maritime patrol vessel, which will take her to Reunion Island, east of Madagascar, a top official there said.
Meanwhile, Australian authorities broadcast a message warning boats in the area that Sunderland's damaged sailboat remains adrift.
"Crazy is the word that really describes everything that has happened best," Sunderland wrote in a blog post Saturday from the "bouncy fishing boat."
"The long and the short of it is, well, one long wave, and one short mast (short meaning two inch stub)," she wrote. "I'll write a more detailed blog later, just wanted to let every one know I am safe and sound on a great big fishing boat headed I am not exactly sure where."
A Qantas Airbus search plane made radio contact with Sunderland late Thursday.
Qantas Airlines spokesperson Tom Woodward had told The Associated Press that the young sailor was "in an okay condition."
"The yacht's damaged but it's seaworthy," Woodward said.
Critics have said Sundarland was far too young to attempt such a journey. The teen addressed the issue in her blog post.
"There are plenty of things people can think of to blame for my situation; my age, the time of year and many more," she wrote. "The truth is, I was in a storm and you don't sail through the Indian Ocean without getting in at least one storm."
Sunderland comes from a large family of seven children, raised by parents who schooled her in the art of sailing.
"Abigail has proven herself over the years as a very seaworthy young lady. She's been raised in the yacht marina and this is almost, like, second nature to her," her father Laurence Sunderland told Canada AM last week.
"This isn't something that I would advocate for most 16-year-olds. It is a dangerous endeavour and Abigail has proven herself beyond a shadow of a doubt of being very capable of dealing with those dangers," he added. "And just the very fact of what's happened to her vessel and how she's surviving right now out there is a testimony to her skills as a sailor and survival techniques that she's using."
Her older brother, Zac, previously held the record for the youngest person to sail around the world without stopping. Sunderland was trying to best the current youth record when she set off on her journey on Jan. 23.
While some equipment problems forced her to give up her chance at breaking the record last month, Sunderland continued on her journey nonetheless.
"She sounded tired, a little bit small in her voice, but she was able to make jokes and she was looking forward to getting some sleep," her mother said.
Two days ago, Sunderland lost contact with her family and sent out a distress signal after a massive wave wrecked her sailboat.
She was picked up more than 3,200 kilometres from Australia's western coastline, boarding French ship Ile De La Reunion on Saturday afternoon, according to the Australian Maritime Safety Authority.
In about two days she will be transferred to a maritime patrol vessel, which will take her to Reunion Island, east of Madagascar, a top official there said.
Meanwhile, Australian authorities broadcast a message warning boats in the area that Sunderland's damaged sailboat remains adrift.
"Crazy is the word that really describes everything that has happened best," Sunderland wrote in a blog post Saturday from the "bouncy fishing boat."
"The long and the short of it is, well, one long wave, and one short mast (short meaning two inch stub)," she wrote. "I'll write a more detailed blog later, just wanted to let every one know I am safe and sound on a great big fishing boat headed I am not exactly sure where."
A Qantas Airbus search plane made radio contact with Sunderland late Thursday.
Qantas Airlines spokesperson Tom Woodward had told The Associated Press that the young sailor was "in an okay condition."
"The yacht's damaged but it's seaworthy," Woodward said.
Critics have said Sundarland was far too young to attempt such a journey. The teen addressed the issue in her blog post.
"There are plenty of things people can think of to blame for my situation; my age, the time of year and many more," she wrote. "The truth is, I was in a storm and you don't sail through the Indian Ocean without getting in at least one storm."
Sunderland comes from a large family of seven children, raised by parents who schooled her in the art of sailing.
"Abigail has proven herself over the years as a very seaworthy young lady. She's been raised in the yacht marina and this is almost, like, second nature to her," her father Laurence Sunderland told Canada AM last week.
"This isn't something that I would advocate for most 16-year-olds. It is a dangerous endeavour and Abigail has proven herself beyond a shadow of a doubt of being very capable of dealing with those dangers," he added. "And just the very fact of what's happened to her vessel and how she's surviving right now out there is a testimony to her skills as a sailor and survival techniques that she's using."
Her older brother, Zac, previously held the record for the youngest person to sail around the world without stopping. Sunderland was trying to best the current youth record when she set off on her journey on Jan. 23.
While some equipment problems forced her to give up her chance at breaking the record last month, Sunderland continued on her journey nonetheless.
According to her official webpage, Sunderland was trying to beat the record held by Mike Perham -- the English teenager who broke her own brother's record last year. But that record, in turn, was shattered by 16-year-old Jessica Watson of Australia last month.