Why would a 55-year-old sailor try to stay at sea in the South Atlantic, beyond the sight of land, for 1,000 days? To prepare for a trip to Mars, of course.

Reid Stowe, a sailor and professional adventurer, embarked on his 1,000 Days at Sea project aboard the 70-foot schooner Anne on April 21 when he left New York Harbor. According to his plans, the boat will remain at sea for 1,000 days and will not re-fuel, re-supply nor pull into any harbor during the voyage. Stowe also calls his project the "Mars Ocean Odyssey." This story says that is "because he thinks the journey will provide valuable lessons for a manned flight to Mars, when astronauts would be confined to a small vessel for two to three years, separated from terra firma and most of humanity."

Stowe's project website maintains that "Captain Stowe has collaborated with and maintains a close relationship with behavioral scientists associated with NASA and the Smithsonian."

The route will take Stowe into the South Atlantic where he will begin a route to "scribe a huge heart shape graphic on the ocean between Africa and South America," according to a press release (in PDF). The plan then takes the boat into the Southern Ocean where it will attempt to circumnavigate the globe four times.

Stowe's only crew for the voyage is his 24-year-old girlfriend Soanya Ahmad, who had never stepped on a boat before meeting Stowe four years ago. Some 35 years ago, at age twenty, Stowe sailed alone for a year as a "rite of passage," the press release says.

One of the great things about sailing is the sailors. They come in all different shapes and sizes, from wildly different backgrounds, with divergent ideas about how to live their lives. What they share is a passion for sailing. And as long as no one gets hurt, sail on.

Stowe is updating his website by satellite phone daily, so check in and follow his progress. He is sure to have some valuable insights into care and maintenance of vessel and crew during an extended cruise.

Captain Stowe and crew. Photo courtesy of Reid Stowe.