Plastiki Project Completes Pacific Journey

The crew of the Plastiki, the boat that was built almost entirely out of 12,500 recycled bottles, has completed its voyage across the Pacific, arriving in Sydney, Australia today. The ship set sail from San Francisco back in March, and now, 130 days and 8000 nautical miles later, the journey is done.

The ship, and the entire project, is the brain child of environmentalist David de Rothschild, the founder of Adventure Ecology. He came up with the concept more than four years ago, and after going through all the planning and design phases, it was the realization of a dream to see the ship set sail at long last.

The voyage was made to help raise awareness of the impact of plastic, and other man made elements, on the environment. Along the way, the Plastiki and her crew paid a visit to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a section of ocean the size of Texas where garbage from around the world has collected and created one giant mess of plastic and other junk.

Joining de Rothschild on the four month long journey were Skipper Jo Royle, Co-Skipper David Thomson, Olav Heyerdahl, Graham Hill, Luca Babini, Matthew Grey, Max Jourdan, Singeli Agnew and Vern Moen. Each was an integral part of the crew with several members working on putting together a film of the journey. It should be a interesting one to watch once it is complete, as I'm sure it'll have quite the commentary on health of our oceans.

Congrats to the entire crew of the Plastiki for completing the voyage. Well done!

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Paddling From Seattle to San Diego

Long distance paddler Margo Pellegrino has just set out on a journey in her outrigger canoe that will take her from Seattle to San Diego with the hope of raising awareness about the health of our oceans. 


The journey actually began a few days back, on July 3rd, and she has been making steady progress ever since. On July 5th she was heading out into the Pacific, and although her blog hasn't been updated since then, her online tracking system seems to be working fine. She has now moved out of Juan De Fuca Strait and into the Pacific Ocean itself. She's now turned South and has begun the real challenge of the journey, namely covering 3500 miles of coastline. 


Margo points out that the general health or our planet is directly connected to the oceans themselves, and that we all can contribute to making things better, even if it is a seemingly small act. A lot of small actions leads to big changes. That is the message she'll be delivering as she makes her journey, stopping in major towns and cities along the way. 


This seems like a pretty great trip to make by canoe, although the northern part of the trip would be more interesting to me than the southern end, as she nears San Diego. She's delivering a good message too. I hope this gets lots of attention.


Thanks to the Hardwear Sessons Blog for the tip. 

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More Sailing Updates: Two Expeditions Coming To An End

With all of this talk about these young girls making their solo circumnavigation attempts, it's sometimes easy to forget that there are some other great sea borne adventures that have been taking place, two of which are coming to an end today.

First up, Reid Stowe, who I've mentioned a few times in the past, is about to finish up his 1000 Days at Sea Expedition. He's actually been at sea for 1152 days, and will be pulling into New York harbor sometime today.

The goal of the expedition was to demonstrate the possibilities of making a journey to Mars, and when he began the voyage, he was hoping so simulate the conditions that astronauts could possibly face if they were on a prolonged journey. That was more than three years ago, and at long last, he'll set foot on land once again today, where he'll be greeted by hundreds of well wishers, including Soanya Ahmad, who began the journey with him, but was forced to leave after 305 days due to debilitating sea sickness. Turns out that she was also pregnant, and would later give birth to their son. Since that time, Reid has spent more than two years alone at sea.

I'll bet he'll be happy to be back on land tonight.

Meanwhile, jumping to the west coast, a few days back I posted an update on the Around the Americas Team, and how they were closing in on their final destination as well. Turns out, today will be the day for them to return home as well. The crew of the Ocean Watch should reach Seattle sometime this afternoon too, bringing an end to their 13-month circumnavigation of North and South America that saw them navigating their way through the Northwest Passage. This amazing journey has never been completed before, and while making the voyage, the crew took water samples and recorded all kinds of data to help us to better understand the impact of global climate change on the health of our seas.

I want to take the opportunity to with both Reid and the Ocean Watch crew home. Your two respective journeys have been tremendous to follow.

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Bounty Boat Update: The Expedition is Done!

Back at the end of April, I wrote about the Talisker Bounty Boat, which was setting out with a crew of four in an attempt to reenact the incredible journey of Captain Bligh, who was set adrift by the mutinous Fletcher Christian back in 1789.

The events leading up to that journey are well documented in The Mutiny on the Bounty, but in a nutshell, the British naval vessel the Bounty, was taken by mutineers and her captain, William Bligh, along with his loyal officers, were put off the ship in a small, 23-foot long open boat. Bligh and the men then proceeded to sail more than 3700 nautical miles, over the course of seven weeks, until the arrived safely at Kupang in Timor. The journey was long and arduous, and it is a miracle that they even survived. No one has successfully completed the journey since then. That is, until now.

Earlier today, the Talisker Bounty Boat made landfall in Kupang, West Timor, completing their epic journey and recreating that of the Bounty's officer in the process. The crew, which consists of Captain Don McIntyre, 18 year old Brit Chris Wilde, Australian Dave Pryce and Englishman David Wilkinson, set out without navigational charts, barely any food, just two weeks worth of water, and practically nothing else. Along the way they faced a number of hardships, including storms, the hot South Pacific Sun, kidney stones, and more.

The journey was undertaken for a good cause, as McIntyre and the rest of the boys, hoped to raise $250,000 for the Sheffield Institute Foundation for Motor Neurone Disease. The money will go to help find a cure for Motor Neurone Disease (MND), Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. Definitely a worthy cause to be sure.

Congrats to the crew of the Bounty Boat on a job well done. I can't imagine what it was like out there for these guys.

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Around The Americas Update: Nearly Home!

I haven't really mentioned much about the Around the Americas expedition since they made their way through the perilous waters off of Cape Horn. That was back in January, and since that time, they've had plenty of adventures, as they've sailed up the west coasts of both North and South America, making their way back to where they started, Seattle, Washington. Now, they're within a few days of completing their epic journey, and finishing a sailing adventure that had never been done before.

For those who aren't familiar with the expedition, the crew of the Ocean Watch set sail from Seattle last May with the idea of circumnavigating the continents of both North and South America. Until recent years, the journey wasn't even possible, but thanks to global climate change, the Northwest Passage has been navigable for the past few years. Upon beginning their voyage, the ship sailed north, to Alaska, and began what was perhaps the most treacherous portion of the trip through the ice waters of the Arctic Ocean. Once they cleared that section, they turned south, down the coast of North and South America, around the Horn, and then back North, where they are now, more than a year after starting, and closing in on their destination.

Of course, the journey wasn't just about the adventure itself. Along the way, the crew was joined by a variety of guests, and throughout the journey, a number of scientific experiments were made, and sample were taken, to record the impact of global climate change on the oceans and seas through which they passed. When they get back home, the crew of the Ocean Watch, will deliver some very important data that could offer some great insights into the health of our oceans.

I'll post an update again when they've reached Seattle. It's been a long journey, and you can read about their experiences in their blog, which they've been keeping since the beginning, and has lots of great information and stores to tell. Read it by clicking here.

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World Oceans Day: Save Our Planet, Save Ourselves

Today is World Oceans Day, and considering what is happening in the Gulf of Mexico at the moment, it seems fitting to stop and reflect on what we are doing to our seas, and how that effects the rest of the world.

We've known for some time that the health of our oceans has a direct impact on the health of the rest of the planet. The oceans are the engines that drive the air currents and weather patterns that have long term, and lasting effects on the environments around us, and yet we seem to have neglected them for too long. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a depressing example of how we have treated the oceans as a dumping grounds, and it is scary just how much crap has accumulated out there. All of that garbage is contaminating and killing off fish at an alarming rate, and yet we seem powerless to do anything about it.

Of course, the massive oil spill that has been going on for more than six weeks in the Gulf of Mexico is just another example of how poorly we have treated the oceans. The oil that has been spewing out of that hole in the Earth has has created an environmental disaster of unprecedented proportions, and we're now told it will take years to clean it all up. Worse yet, today we got the news that the oil is not just on the surface as we had first believed, but is now being found in low levels under the water as well. Meanwhile, endangered turtle species, untold numbers of fish, manatees, birds, and other creatures are all at risk, as the oil continues to spread further eastward.

Environmentalists keep telling us that we need to change our ways. That our lifestyle is destroying the planet. But that is, once again, very short sighted. We're not destroying the planet, we're destroying ourselves. The Earth has survived far worse than what we can throw at it, and the sooner we realize that, the better we'll be. A better, more healthy, and environmentally sound approach to our own lives will lead to better, more healthy world as well. It's as simple as save our planet, save ourselves.

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Ocean Rowing: More on Roz's Arrival

Yesterday I posted that Roz Savage had completed her three-stage, three-year solo row across the Pacific Ocean. When I put that story online, she had only been into Madang, located in Papua New Guinea, for less than an hour, and there wasn't a whole lot of news about her arrival. Today, we have an update from Roz herself as she has posted a note to her blog.

Upon her approach it seems that she was a bit concerned about how many people would be there to greet her when she pulled into the dock. Turns out, she had nothing to fear, as there were more than 5000 people on hand to welcome her back to dry land. As she approached her final destination, canoes rowed out to join her, with locals dressed in traditional garb, and Roz was given a heroes welcome when she did finally reach land.

Interestingly enough, Roz wasn't allowed to officially enter Papua New Guinea until she had completed her paperwork for her visa. So instead, she spent the night aboard a luxury cruiser, called the Kalibobo Spirit while she waited for all of that to be sorted out. After getting a hot shower and a comfortable bed, she was up early the next morning, and they actually towed her boat back out into the water, and she rowed the final segment into shore and climbed onto the island, marking her official end of the row, despite the fact that she had arrived at that point the night before.

You would think that after more than 45 days at sea, Roz would be ready to get home and enjoy a break from this adventure that has consumed her life for the past five years. But instead, she'll be staying in Papua New Guinea for a month, relaxing, exploring, and giving talks on her ocean rows and the importance of environmental responsibility. At this point, I'd say she's earned a little R and R in a tropical setting, wouldn't you?

Congrats again to Roz on an amazing accomplishment.

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Ocean Rowing: Roz Is Done!

Major congratulations this morning to Roz Savage, who has just tweeted from Papua New Guinea that she has arrived in Madang, completing the third, and final stage of her solo row across the Pacific Ocean. In doing so, she has become the first woman to make that journey alone.

Roz's story is well known to regular readers at this point. Living in the U.K. back in 2001 she found herself working in a job she didn't enjoy and caught up on the daily grind. So, she quit that job and set out to put a little adventure back into her life. That included travel throughout the world, and running several marathons. But in 2006, she found her true calling when she rowed solo across the Atlantic in 103 days.

Not long after that, she announced her plans to row across the Pacific as well, and thus began a four year odyssey that was challenging and rewarding on many levels. In 2007, she set off in pursuit of her new rowing goals, only to abort the attempt a few weeks in, but undaunted, she returned in 2008, completing the first leg of the journey by rowing from San Francisco to Hawaii. In 2009, the second stage saw her traveling from Hawaii to Tarawa, where she returned in April to finish this final stage.

Now, the Pacific Row is done, and I'm sure she is ecstatic and relieved to have completed it at last. Over the course of this three year, three stage, journey Roz has become an outspoken environmental activist, and her message of protecting the world's oceans has become one of her primary causes. I suspect she'll now turn her attentions to that cause in an even bigger way.

I'm sure we'll hear much more about Roz's adventure soon enough. As I write this, she's barely been back on land a half hour. I'll post updates as they come in.

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Ocean Rowing: Roz Is Closing In!

Ocean Rower Roz Savage has been back on the water for 40 days, as she continues on her solo row across the Pacific, in this, her third and final leg of the journey. Roz first began this adventure back in 2008, when she rowed from San Francisco to Hawaii. With Stage 1 complete, she returned to the islands in 2009, and continued the voyage, ending at the tiny island of Tarawa in the South Pacific, the same place that she set out from in mid-April.

The plan this time out was to finish the crossing, by ending in Australia, but quick glance at the Roz Tracker tells us she is approaching Papua New Guinea, and she is now planning on ending the voyage in Madang, which is now just 260 nautical miles away. At her current pace, she'll probably reach the finish line in a little more than a week or so, depending on conditions.

I would imagine that these final days on the water a kind of bittersweet for Roz. She's nearing the end of a project that has been the focus of her life for more than five years. But she has also shifted her role from not just being an ocean rower and fearless adventurer but also an champion for the environment and an Eco Hero.

Watch for more updates on Roz's progress soon, as she finished up one very impressive feat, a solo, stage row, across the Pacific Ocean.

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Adventurers Follow Captain Bligh Into The Unknown

Here's an interesting adventure for you.

Yesterday, four men set off on what will no doubt be a harrowing sea voyage, as they attempt to recreate the famous open sea journey of Captain Bligh, and his loyal crew, after they were set adrift following the Mutiny on the Bounty. That famous event took place exactly 221 years ago on April 28th. Fletcher Christian, and his merry band of mutineers took the Bounty from her captain, and put him, and 18 others, in a 23-foot long open boat. Over the subsequent seven weeks, Bligh and his men managed to navigate from Tonga to Kupang in Timor, with very little food, water, or other supplies. The crew of this aquatic expedition hope to equal that task.

Dubbed the Talisker Bounty Boat Expedition, this voyage will mirror the historic one as closely as possible. For example, when skipper Don McIntyre and his three companions were dropped into the water yesterday, at the same spot, and at the same time as Bligh, they had just two weeks worth of water, very little food, and a complete lack of any luxury items, including charts to navigate by or even toilet paper. Over the next seven weeks, they hope to cross the same 4000 mile stretch of open water as the Bounty's crew, surviving in much the same fashion.

Joining McIntyre on the journey are Australian David Pryce, English sailor by way of Hong Kong David Wilkinson; and Chris Wilde, a young adventurer from the U.K. Together the four men not only hope to survive to complete this epic journey, they hope to raise more than $250,000 for the Sheffield Institute Foundation for Motor Neurone Disease, which is working on cures for Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. The major sponsor for the expedition is Talisker Single Malt Scotch Whisky, which these guys will be wanting in short order I'd guess.

The crew is sending back dispatches to be posted as a blog on their website, and you can chart their progress there as well. This certainly is a novel idea for an adventure. Anyone up for reliving Shackleton's 15 months in the Antarctic? Anyone?

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Pacific Row: Roz Kicks Off Stage 3

It may be a bit of old news at this point, but I thought it was worth mentioning anyway. While I was away taking a walk in the Himalaya, ocean rower Roz Savage began the third, and final, stage of her trans-Pacific Row. As of today, she is now ten days out from Tarawa, the end point for Stage 2, and over the next few months, she'll be rowing more than 3000 miles, to reach her final destination – Australia.

You can follow along with Roz's adventure on her blog. She's been making daily updates so far, and is reporting exceptionally hot weather, which is not too unexpected considering she crossed the equator just a few days back. It should also be noted that while this is a solo, and unsupported journey, Roz isn't completely alone this time out, as she has a little spider on board, which she's named Alf, who is keeping her company thus far.

The trans-Pacific Row began back in 2008 when Roz set out from San Francisco and successfully rowed to Hawaii. Stage 2 took place last year, beginning in Hawaii and ending in Tarawa some four months later, which sets up this year's stage that, when completed, will mark the first solo row by a woman across the Pacific.

We'll be following Roz's progress over the next few months, cheering her on to Australia. I'll post updates on a regular basis as she finally completes her epic row. In the meantime, you can also track her progress on the RozTracker, which keeps us posted on her location at any given time.

Good luck Roz! Enjoy the final stage!

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Plastiki Project Sets Sail!

After months of preparation, and years of planning, the Plastiki Expedition has finally set sail, with David de Rothschild taking his now famous boat, made from more than 12,000 plastic bottles, out to sea. de Rothschild and crew will now spend 100 days sailing from San Francisco to Sydney, as he raises awareness of the growing problem with the accumulation of plastic waste products. On the voyage, they'll also visit the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, an area of accumulated trash that is believed to be at least the size of Texas.

The Plastiki set sail on Saturday morning, with expedition leader de Rothschild joined by co-skippers Jo Royal and David Thompson, expedition diver Olav Heyerdahl, and filmmakers Vern Moen and Max Jourdan. The latter two will be filming the expedition, and telling the story of the ship, which receives inspiration from Thor Heyerdahl's Kon-Tiki expedition.

To follow along with the adventure, check out the Plastiki Project website, where you can track the progress of the boat. You can also follow along on David de Rothschild's twitter feed, and the expedition will no doubt continue to get plenty of notice on adventure websites, like the National Geographic Adventure Blog, which has been covering the project for some time. That's where I came across the video below this morning of CNN covering the departure of the ship. CNN is also posting updates on the voyage as well, which can be found here.

Good luck to the entire crew! Safe voyage!

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Ocean Rowing: Roz's 2010 Intro Video

While we're on the topic of ocean rowing, Roz Savage has a great video available that serves as a great introduction not only for what she's already accomplished, but also what she has planned for 2010 as well. As many of you already know, Roz will soon set out on on the final leg of her solo row across the Pacific, going from Tarawa to Australia. When she's done, she'll be the first person to completely row across that ocean, a fantastic feat to be sure.

Check out the video below to find out a bit more about what life is like aboard her little row boat, complete with shots of gear, food, the surrounding waters (including aquatic visitors) and Roz at her customary spot, behind the oars.

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Ocean Rowing: The Science of Rowing An Ocean

Ever wonder how the ocean rowers, such as Roz Savage or Sarah Outen, manage to cross vast bodies of water, spending weeks at a time at sea, alone, and completely self sufficient? Then Popular Mechanics has just the article for you. The story takes an in depth look at exactly what kind of gear and equipment you need to successfully cross an ocean under your own power.

Popular Mechanics actually takes a specific case study by checking in with Katie Spotz, who is currently rowing across the Atlantic Ocean, and recently reached the halfway point of her voyage. In fact, they even have an audio interview with Katie, conducted via satellite phone from the middle of the Atlantic, who says that she is doing well, and that the weather is being very cooperative thus far.

Perhaps even more interesting than the interview itself however, is the information on all of the high tech gear that is aiding in the voyage. Pop. Mechanics looks at everything from the shape of her boat, to the route that she chose, and the ways she powers her gadgets while at sea. They touch on her food and water supply and the communications systems she has in place to stay in touch with the team back home.

All in all this is an interesting piece that helps to explain just how these long distance rowers manage to exist for all those days out on the ocean. Like all expeditions, there always seems to be a way to get things done.

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Solo Sailing Update: ESPN Covers Abby's Departure

Yesterday I posted a story on the recent progress of Jessica Watson and her attempt to sail solo around the world with the intention of claiming the title of youngest person to accomplish that feat at the age of 16. At the end of that story I also noted that Abby Sunderland, also 16, had set sail on her own solo circumnavigation attempt over the weekend, hitting the Pacific Ocean on Saturday.

It seems that Abby's story has hit the big time, as ESPN.com has picked it up and currently has a story about her attempt on their website. The article is rather brief, and simply gives an outline of what Abby is up to, as she also hopes to become the youngest person to successfully complete this journey.

It's always great when an adventure story like the ones we're use to following around here hit the mainstream. You don't often hear about these stories in the regular press. At least not until they've either finished the attempt or had some catastrophe befall them in the middle. I doubt ESPN will ever mention Abby again until she's completed the round-the-world trip, but it's nice to see her getting some attention from the big boys.

And for those that missed the story yesterday, you can follow Abby's progress in her Solo Round Blog.

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Vancouver To Hawaii By High Tech Peddle Boat

It has been nearly two years since I wrote this story about Greg Kolodziejzyk, an adventurer who was, as the time, planning on crossing the Atlantic Ocean in a high tech boat that is propelled by peddling. Now, Greg is back, with a new goal and a newly designed website, to begin the countdown to his next adventure.

According to PedalTheOcean.com, Greg will now attempt to travel from Vancouver, Canada to Hawaii, a distance of nearly 3000 miles, under his own power. He expects the voyage to take somewhere between 40 and 80 days, beginning in June of this year. He'll be passing through a treacherous stretch of open water known as the Graveyard of the Pacific which is renown for its wild seas, unpredictable storms, and dangerous waves. If successful, Kolodziejzyk will become the first person to make that journey under his own power, which he'll be doing in his specially designed and built WITHiN boat.

Like many adventurers these days, Greg is undertaking this endeavor for a cause. He's working to combat child obesity by raising funds for Kimberlee's Bikes for Kids, an organization that is working to provide bicycles for second and third graders free of charge.

The Peddle The Ocean expedition looks like another great adventure set up for later in the year. 2010 looks like it's going to be a good one already. Good luck to Greg on this adventure. We'll be following!

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Ocean Rowing: Speaking Engagements For Roz and Sarah

For several months earlier this year we tracked the progress of Roz Savage and Sarah Outen as they both rowed solo across different oceans. Roz tackled the second leg of her trans-Pacific row while Sarah became the first woman to ever row solo across the Indian Ocean. Now, both women are back on dry land and preparing to share their experiences with upcoming speaking engagements. Ironically enough, both of them are speaking on the same evening, but the events are separated by, you guess it, an ocean.

Sarah will be the first to speak by virtue of the event taking place in the U.K. She'll be at The North Wall in Oxford, where for the first time she'll talk about her experiences out on the water. The event gets underway at 7:30 PM on October 19th, and is expected to last roughly two hours. All proceeds from the event will go to support Sarah's charities, namely Arthritis Care and Arthritis Research Campaign. If you're in the area and want to stop by, you can get tickets here.

Also on that Monday, October 19th, Roz will be in Washington D.C., where she'll be giving a lecture at the National Geographic Live! center. Her chat begins at 7:30 PM as well, and tickets are available by clicking here. Roz will be discussing her row across the Atlantic from a few years back, while supporting her new book Row the Atlantic, which hits book stores tomorrow. To find out more about Roz's appearance, click here. She'll be appearing as part of a three-part Quest for Adventure series, which will also include others who prefer to propel themselves around the planet through the use of an oar.

Wish I could make either event. Anyone planning on going?

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Video Highlights of Stage 2 of Roz's Pacific Row

With the second stage of her trans-Pacific row behind her, Roz Savage has returned to the mainland and is already planning next year's third and final stage of her journey. While she rests up and enjoys some much deserved down time, we can all get a glimpse into what her most recent adventure was like through this highlight video below. Enjoy!

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Outside Blog Interviews Roz!

Fresh off the successful completion of the second stage of her trans-Pacific row, Roz Savage has been interviewed by the Outside Blog.

In the interview, she talks about a variety of things, such as her motivations for the making this journey, what she needs to do to prepare for an ocean crossing under her own power, and the logistics of going solo and unsupported for months at a time. Roz gives props to the team that keeps her going and helps her through each of these demanding and difficult stages, and discusses much more, including looking ahead to 2010, when she expects to get underway on her third, and final stage, ending in Australia. If all goes as planned, she'll begin that stage in April.

Roz will be shipping her first book in October as well. It's called Rowing the Atlantic: Lessons Learned on the Open Ocean, and it'll hit store shelves on October 6th. It covers her first major rowing adventure, in which she crossed the Atlantic under her own power in just 103 days back in 2005. The book promises to be quite a read, and I'm sure it'll serve as a great prelude to her Pacific adventure as well.

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Trailer For 3-D IMAX Surfing Film

Last week I mentioned that Jon Bowermaster was in Tahiti working on a 3-D IMAX surfing film with Stephen Low and Kelly Slater. Today we get the first look at what they've been working on in the form of a great trailer, and it gives us a taste of what we can expect in February of 2010 when the film is released.

And after you've enjoyed the video, head over to Jon's Blog to read the latest post on "Shark City", in which a local guide takes them out to a spot in the sea where he summons up hundreds of sharks for their viewing pleasure. Good stuff, as always!

Update: I just wanted to make a small correction to this post. Jon is in Tahiti and is writing about this new film but he isn't involved in actually making it. His story will appear in the December issue of National Geographic Adventure and will cover the making of the movie ahead of its release.

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