A Long Time at Sea

While we were busy holiday shopping and attending boat parades this past weekend, American artist, adventurer and sailor Reid Stowe was busy breaking the record for the longest solo sea voyage in history.

Stowe set off in 2007 aboard the Anne intending to stay at sea for 1,000 days, but he wasn’t alone for the first 300-ish days. However, as of this past Saturday, December 12, 2009, by staying at sea alone for 658 days after transferring his one crew member to another vessel, Reid Stowe has broken Jon Sanders’ 20-year-old record for a solo sea voyage. This is a remarkable accomplishment by any standard; in fact, Stowe, according to his website, has even received encouragement and letters of congratulations from Sanders himself.

Reid Stowe is expected to wrap up this fantastic voyage (which, by the way, is being called the Mars Ocean Odyssey) and reunite with his first mate, his newborn son, and the rest of the human race next June on the Hudson in NYC, and you are invited to the homecoming! If you’d like to participate with your boat in the flotilla, visit 1000days.net or contact soanya(at)1000days.net with your name, vessel name, vessel size, and a contact phone number.

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