I see your point SINS me darlin' - just don't agree with it, that's all.

Anyone who goes to sea is taking a risk. These guys had a fair sized ship and some were experienced mature (they were all mature) sailors. They knew the risks and were prepared to accept them.

It's not as if they were weekend sailors. I think that, just because they were old, people thought that they might not be competant.
Well the young gainsayers were proved wrong. So three cheers for old farts everywhere.

Emergency services put their lives at stake in many fields, from ski rescue, mountain rescue, fire departments, coastguards, police, and so on and so on. But I don't hear anyone say we should stop people from skiing or mountain climbing. Of couse it's mostly YOUNG people who go skiing and mountain climbing.