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Captain Reid's Ocean Odyssey
Jul 30, 2004 13: 16 EST
Last year, we were standing on a pier of the Hudson river waving off an Antarctic Helicopter expedition. As the two pilots left for their long flight, a bystander approached us: "Don't know if you are aware of it, but there's this guy who plans to stay out three years at sea, and never touch land once while he is out. His boat is docked by that pier down there," he pointed down the Hudson.
Read the first of the two part story of Captain Reid and his incredible sail (part two Sunday):
A 1000 days journey on Earth - the equivalent of a voyage to Mars
A glorious Manhattan summer evening three weeks ago, the Schooner Anne left port at the Chelsea Piers, leaving the chaos of a New York City weekend behind for a few hours sail.
Twenty something land lubbers, including crew ExplorersWeb manned the rigs under the watchful eye of Captain Reid Stowe. The wind was gusting in from the Long Island Sound and the course was set for the Statue of Liberty, the symbol of freedom that hundreds of boats pass every day.
Captain Reid called the shots, directing the city folk to pull the main sail ropes, hoist the jib and steer the rudder. With his hand-painted, chopped up cap and sailor’s white shirt, Captain Reid – calm of speech and confident in demeanor – sent the schooner out onto the Hudson River.
Non-stop at Sea
This was only a taste of the 1,000 day journey that Captain Reid hopes to make later this year. “The object of the voyage is to leave the land and all support, sail for 1,000 days, non-stop at sea without receiving help, to live at sea, to be healthy…” said Reid.
He will not refuel, he will not re-supply, and he will not pull into any harbor. One idea behind the long isolation is to test how it will affect the human spirit. This is the exact kind of isolation that worries space people as we plan the first manned voyage to Mars - estimated to take 3 years. NASA is of course an interested partner in Captain Reid's ocean project.
Yoga exercises, united with sculpting, singing and painting
But there is more to it for the Captain. For many of his generation the philosophies and lifestyles of the New Age Movement lost out to modern life. But for Reid the influence of eastern philosophy and the Beatle’s Sergeant Pepper took hold in his psyche. His positive thinking attitude and daily yoga exercises, united with sculpting, singing and painting almost go hand in hand with his almost three year journey away from the chaos of the civilized world.
When Reid casts off from Pier 63, he will follow global trade winds from New York to the southern coast of Africa, past Australia, around the end of South America to circumnavigate the globe in the southern hemisphere 4 times. "Here the prevailing winds and currents afford opportunities for downwind sailing far from sight of land," says Reid. His return to New York will be the first time he sees land in almost three years.
Sunday: The voyage and the Captain's other adventures.
Image of the Anne on the Hudson river, and the Captain relaxing, ExplorersWeb files.
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| Fedor - less than a week to go! Jun 3, 2005 | | Saito San - closing in on home and record! Jun 2, 2005 | | Atlantic Four: And they are off! Jun 1, 2005 | | Ollie - is anybody out there? May 31, 2005 | | ExplorersWeb Week in Review May 30, 2005 | | And they are off! May 27, 2005 | | Ellen gives transatlantic record a second battle May 27, 2005 | | Vagabond update - Polar bears, 200 candles and ice melting in Inglefieldbukta May 26, 2005 | | ExWeb interview - Atlantic Four: "It was all about persuading our wives" May 25, 2005 | | Iridium: "Invalid battery - matches found, 0" May 24, 2005 |
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