1,000 Day Long Sail A Really Bold Idea

One might think that at 55 years old, Reid Stowe might have a better clue about what works and what doesn’t in a relationship. His plans to set sail for just under three years straight with his girlfriend, without a single stop in any port of call, may sound romantic and brave on paper, but if they manage to accomplish this without hitting an emotional sandbar inside of the first month I’ll be amazed.

Contributing to this prediction of doom is largely the fact that said girlfriend, Soanya Ahmad, is the tender, naive age of 23 years old, and she has never sailed outside of the Hudson river. Stowe, on the other hand, has lived aboard a boat for decades already.

They plan to be completely self-sufficient for the duration, including trapping rain water and desalinating sea water for potability. The 70′ double masted schooner, built by Stowe and his family, is crammed full of provisions, and both parties have undergone training in basic first aid. The Anne, as the schooner is named, is also outfitted with solar panels for their electrical needs. “The Mars Ocean Odyssey,” as they’ve called it, has been funded by individual contributions and corporate donations.

Reid Stowe is a lifelong adventurer, and given his experience and discipline I’m confident that he’s got the wherewithal to undertake such an expedition. But his companion is barely into her 20’s and I’m with the skeptics who fear that she’ll bug out and need to jump ship in less than the thousand day stretch.

N.Y. duo sets sail on 1,000-day cruise [ap.org]

1000 Days at Sea [1000days.net]