1000 Days at Sea and a Baby Makes Three

When we last blogged about Reid Stowe's and Soanya Ahmad's 1000 Days at Sea venture, Soanya had left the voyage at day 307 because of sea sickness. Today, we read that Soanya had given birth to a baby boy who she named Darshen.

Congratulations Soanya and Reid.

Obviously, Darshen was conceived at sea on the Schooner Anne, which is not completely surprising, but considering that the plan was to sail continuously for 1,000 days, you think they would have done a bit more planning and preparation in the birth control department.

Reid plans to continue sailing for another 540 days.

1000 Days at Sea...More like 307

On April 24, when Reid Stowe, 55, decided to sail for 1,000 consecutive days with his significantly younger girlfriend, Soanya Ahmad, 23, who, at the time said it was her first time sailing, except for a few trips up and down the Hudson River, we knew this was a bad idea. Just a few days into Reid and Soanya's love voyage, Ms. Ahmad had gotten seasick quite a few times. At that time, Sail Brooklyn wondered how Soanya would react to the Southern Ocean, which is arguably the world's most dangerous water.

While we're not claiming to be soothsayers, but the Southern Ocean did get the best of Soanya and at day 307, she climbed off the Schooner Anne and headed to terra ferma -- Perth, Australia, to be exact. According to the 1000 Days at Sea Website, Sonya decided to call it quits "due to Sonya's seasickness over the past few months, brought on by their entry into the Southern Ocean." Reid writes,"since entering the Roaring 40s in late November, Soanya has suffered from recurring and disabling seasickness, resulting in a loss of appetite, weight loss,
and apathy."

Sonya was picked up by the good folks at the Royal Perth Yacht Club. I'm sure a little R&R adn a good time with the Aussies will cure her apathy. Frankly, we didn't think she's make it this long. Particularly because just 15 days into the voyage, they collided with a freighter.

Reid Stowe is continuing his voyage and according to him, has or is planning to break the following records:

• Longest man and woman sea voyage
• Longest consecutive time at sea for a woman
• Longest time out of sight of land
• Longest non-stop American sea voyage.
• Longest space analogous experiment on the ocean

We're not sure which is more of an entertaining train wreck, 1000 Days at Sea or Britney Spears. Regardless, we'll continue to gawk.

Godspeed Reid!

1000 Days at Sea: It took only 15 Days for a Major Disaster

On April 24, we wrote about Reid Stowe and Soanya Ahmad venturing off for their 1,000 days at sea venture. The Combination of Reid's gung-ho attitude and Soanya's complete lack of sailing experience, particularly any blue water experience, led us, and many others to believe that this is a disaster in the making. Unfortunately, for the crew of the schooner Anne, their dream voyage turned south two days ago, during their 15th day, the Morning of May 6, Anne had a collision with a freighter.

Stowe writes, " I was on watch in the pilothouse looking for lights of ships every 15 minutes to a half hour. I heard a loud bang and some scraping. When I opened the hatch, I saw the stern of a freighter passing by. We were not hit hard." They lost the bowsprit, the bow pulpit, and the headstay that keeps the foreword mast attached to the boat. Instead of calling it quits or getting rescued by the freighter that hit them, and perhaps returning after 15 days to make some needed repairs and re-start 1,000 days at sea, Stowe is pressing on. He adds, "its imperative that we get part of the job done before we hit any heavy weather." And Soanya adds, "...we could make it work. The 1000 days voyage is still in full swing."

Huh?

What we can't figure out is who's crazier, Reid or Soanya? Reid is 55, was married and is, according to what we can gather, a very experienced sailor. Soanya is 23 and has no experience at all. Why would he take someone so inexperienced with him? And is he some sort of Svengali who convinced Soanya, against general common sense, to take a chance and head off to sea for three years? And why would Soanya agree to go on a voyage like this? Hadn't she ever seen Gilligan's Island? (and that tour was only three hours). We can assume that she really didn't know what she was getting into, but didn't she know how badly this can become.

As one blogger put it as they departed, "this could go very badly" and we also wrote "there are often closes that foreshadow the story." We'll continue to follow this tragic love story.

We wish them well and hope they come to their senses.