| The Long Voyage |
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| Wednesday, 14 March 2007 | |
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If all goes according to plan, Reid Stowe along with his sole crew Soanya Ahmad at his side, will soon be heading out to sea for quite some time. Reid and his loyal group of volunteers, have been planning to break the current record for a continual non-stop, non-resupply sailing voyage. Currently, the record is held by an Australian singlehander; is 600 something days, and Reid and Soanya are shooting to up the stakes to one that will be very hard to beat: 1,000 Days at Sea Three years. Imagine. Think about what you have done on land, and where you may have been for the last three years. The multitude of places you've seen- the plethora of people you have met. Even if you are a sailor, living onboard your cruising vessel, you have no doubt flown back somewhere during the last three years, and set foot on land many, many times. Just think of three years sailing without stopping. Three years where your entire world will be the wide open expanse of God's gorgeous ocean, and the only firma under foot will be the blessedly solid deck of the built to survive anything Anne. The pleasures of Anne, and I tend to anthropormorphize sailing vessels by nature, are in and of herself- not inconsiderable, nor unvaried, in fact they are completely unique. Reid has had fashioned for himself, indeed has dreamed into being, a ship that feels as if it could as easily break through the ice to a newfound Northwest Passage, as take a group of children for a daysail down the Hudson River. He has created a ship that is a work of art, within and without. Down below, her walls are carved with island scenes of paradise; above on her decks, sculpture sits in keeping with the fact that she herself is indeed a work of art. This 70 feet and 65 tons of ship shall be the floating island home for two seafaring souls for 1000 days at sea. Three years on the good Schooner Anne, should not be such a hardship for these hardy souls. With the ever changing scenery of undulating ocean, skies never quite the same, and the shining stars above to constantly change; these two sailors will be in the cat bird's seat for some of the most awesome displays of the majesty of creation each and every day. Whales and dolphins, seabirds of extraordinary wingspan, blue, blue water, fiery sunsets and glorious sunrises will all be part of their fluid backyard. While we on land will be forced to look out to the sea with longing, Soanya and Reid will have the sea as their constant playground. Indeed it will be their earth entirely. Even land locked lubbers can relate to the call of the sirens of the sea, Imagine. Three years at sea, and only the sea. There have of course, been many ships who have been gone for more than three years on a single voyage. The old whaling ships used to leave Nantucket for the South Pacific and come back years later. However, they stopped to replenish supplies, to take on water, to rest, and to work on the ship. Voyages in the history of exploration, likewise more often than not, did last years from start to finish, however their goal was to discover land, not to avoid it. When conditions warranted, ships stopped at safe harbors. It was a highlight of a seafarer's wandering life. Here we have a unique venture to test the will of man on the sea. To survive, to thrive, to live on the watery part of the world, as if it were a wonderfully undulating terra firma- to enjoy as if it were the land on which we live. Obviously, breaking the record for the longest seafaring voyage requires extensive thoughtful planning and provisioning. This is a process that Reid has been overseeing for years. Tons of food, not needing refrigeration, for there is none aboard, has already been stowed. Tons of coal for keeping warm in even the coldest climes. Passage making always includes bad weather sailing, and Anne is especially well equipped to make life bearable, and comfortable, even in bad conditions, which never last. There is always an after the storm. Reid is a sailor who has already weathered many a turbulent sea. Preparations continue. The electrical system still has some bugs that need to be worked out. Details and financial considerations, all should come together sooner rather than later, and then this show, will finally hit the watery road, so to speak. It shall no doubt be the adventure saga of a lifetime. |
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