Unloading herring - Sitka, Alaska

h/t Richard Hudson - ssuma

Solo around the Americas - Matt Rutherford reaches homeport

Solo Around the America's Under Sail | An audacious attempt at sailing the Northwest Passage and circumnavigating entirety of both continents, to benefit Chesapeake Region Accessible Boating:

THE FINAL TALLY

I sailed 27,077 miles in 309 days, 18 hours and 38 minutes.

FORTITUDINE VINCIMUS

Matt Rutherford - solo the Americas

When it comes to sailing it’s difficult to say who is the first person to do what because so many people have sailed so many places. In the case of this trip it becomes easier because of the Northwest Passage element. Not that many boats have sailed through the Northwest Passage and every boat that has, is listed on the Polar Scott Institutes’ (Cambridge University) web site along with the number on crew. Out of these boats very few were taken through the Northwest Passage singlehanded and out of those few only a couple boats did it both single handed and non-stop. The very very few that have, did not continue non-stop to Cape Horn and then back to their original starting point. So – long story short I’m the first person in history to have completed a non-stop singlehanded circumnavigation of the Americas.

Amundsen's North West Passage - not just a difficult sail

Northwest Passage 2012 dot com: Amundsen's North West Passage - not just a difficult sail: "With the sea ice receding at a rapid rate more and more adventurous cruising sailors are heading for the North West Passage to take their chances. But at least they have GPS and Gore-tex.
First explorer Roald Amundsen's team did not only have to find a way without such technology or charts, they were sailing a 21 metre square-sterned, gaff-rigged sloop, which had once been a herring fishing boat.
They wore woolen clothes which were not water-proof and they were tough men. They were also pretty mean scientists. Science writer Ned Rozell explains.

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Twenty years from now - Mark Twain

'Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you
didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.'
- Mark Twain

Ambrose Lightship back at South Street Seaport

In the good old days lightships marked the shoals from Nantucket to Delaware Bay.  (Well maybe not so good if your were on duty in a short steep chop).  One of them was the Ambrose Lightship which marked the entrance to the Ambrose channel into New York harbor.  The Ambrose has gotten a new coat of paint and is now back on station at South Street Seaport to fascinate tourists and schoolchildren. h/t Save Our Seaport

Two surviving boats neck and neck near Brazil port

dismasted 60 miles off Uruguay, Groupama is in port for repairs, planning to finish the last 600 miles

Groupama, the French boat held a two mile lead over the American Puma when the carbon fiber mast snapped at the first spreader 10 meters above the deck.  Sixty miles off the coast of Uruguay at the time they headed to Punta del Este.  They'll shorten the rig and head for Itajai Brazil for a hir pace finish.  
Meanwhile Puma leads Telefonica by a mile after 6500 miles!  Two boats have called it quits, and Camper is in port in Puerto Montt, Chile.  They'll head south to Cape Horn in hope of finishing the leg before the Brazil to Miami leg starts!
Race Director and VOR veteran Knut Frostad is concerned about the breakage - an issue for the designers and rule-makers next time around.
UPDATE: Groupama back in the hunt!

30 Year Great Lakes ice decline

A study of the Great Lakes shows that ice cover has decreased by 71% in the past 30 years.

1st Boat around the Horn - Volvo Ocean Race

The French boat - Groupama is first around Cape Horn.  Now they can head north to warmer weather.   The American boat Puma, led by New Englander Ken Read, was 10 miles behind them.
Telefonica has rounded the Horn, tucked into the shelter of an island, and set to working on their repairs.
All others struggling with repairs.  Fifth place Abu Dhabi drilled 20 holes in the hull from the outside to bolt into place a reinforcing plate to deal with delamination of the hull  1,500 miles from Cape Horn they're on their own.

Broken boats and bodies as Volvo leaders approach Cape Horn

The leaders are a day from Cape Horn but the carnage is great.

The French  Groupama and the American Puma boats are in the lead after 11 days.

Telefonica is 3rd but will stop at Ushuaia for bow repairs.

Camper is sailing slow and heading to Puertto Montt on Chile's west coast for repairs.

AbuDhabi is sailing slow to assess hull delamination damage

Sanya returned to Auckland for repairs and is a board a ship bound for Savannah for repairs before resuming racing at Miami for the trans-atlantic leg to Lisbon.

Race Tracker - to see them on a map!

Louisiana Oystermen Still Struggling Two Years After Oil Spill | USA | English

Louisiana Oystermen Still Struggling Two Years After Oil Spill | USA | English:
Video HERE


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