Sailor Matt Rutherford has now been a week into his solo, nonstop cruise around all of North and South America in a 27-foot sailboat. His voyage is intended not only to set a new record but as a benefit for the Chesapeake Regional Accessible Boating organization. He set sail from Annapolis and is headed up the U.S. East Coast, hoping to transit the Northwest Passage in August when the ice clears. Then he'll turn south off Alaska and head for Cape Horn and a return back up to the Chesapeake some 10 months from now. He won't be the first sailboat through the Northwest Passage, which has become clear of ice only in recent times with global warming, but to accomplish the entire voyage nonstop in such a small boat will be quite a feat. He's carrying over 2000 lbs of food in a boat that displaces only a little over 5000 lbs. But Matt is an experienced sailor who has previously singlehanded across the Atlantic in both directions. I personally have a special interest in his voyage, having owned a Swedish-built Albin Vega like his a while back - though I never had the time (or guts) to venture anywhere that far! You can follow his progress on his blog. And if you're voyaging and blogging yourself, please add your blog's URL to my sailors blog compendium here.
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