Stowe Supporters - Encouraging "Exploration" or Blood Sport?

I read the last post on the 1000 Days blog “On This Planet and Beyond, Live Your Dreams” and was encouraged that there seemed to be a small hint that R&S might consider cutting the voyage short. He allows that they may have already set a record for a man and woman at sea and the “longest non-stop space analogous mission to take place on this earth.” I have no idea what that means, but if he does that – kudos. While I’m encouraged that they may be reconsidering their options, I am very concerned by those on the blog who continue to egg them on.

I understand how a dynamic personality like Reid’s can sway people’s thinking. The words he and his supporters have used are awe inspiring. Words such as “explore”, “expedition”, “voyage”. In fact, Reid’s departure press release describes him as an “extraordinary explorer”. An explorer is one who, according to Mr. Webster, investigates unknown regions. Mr. Stowe has never, ever, ever, been to an unknown region of the sea. Far from being unknown, in less than 200 days he wandered into a missile testing area and was asked to leave, and then he was hit by a tanker. Based on his experience thus far, it actually seems pretty crowded out there.

One of the biggest land-based problems he has right now is not this blog or some of the SA crowd, it is the people who are supporting him and encouraging him to go on, even into the Southern Ocean, one of the most inhospitable and dangerous places on the planet to be in a boat. You can discredit me because I’ve never been there, and I have no desire to go there - ever. But real explorers, military/commercial shipping and highly qualified sailors have experienced the Southern Ocean and shared their stories of the absolute and destructive power of wind and waves as well as the unpredictability of storms. Wikipedia says of the Southern Ocean, in part:

“The ocean area from about latitude 40 south to the Antarctic Circle has the strongest average winds found anywhere on Earth.”

The boat’s old and leaking. The rigging’s old, and the skipper is not quite in his prime of his life. There are only two people on board. Soanya hasn’t got the rudimentary knowledge or experience and Reid is weak from a poor diet. The boat, the sails and the spars are old and all they’ve apparently got in case they need to abandon is an inflatable, open raft. If they enter the roaring 40s and they do survive, I’ll be as relieved as anyone for their safe passage (though certainly more surprised). But I won’t be encouraging them to press on. To do so is terribly irresponsible.

I’ve had a good time poking fun at these two, and will continue to do so, but if this turns into a tragedy, I’ll be able to sleep with a clean conscience. Those SA folks who try to taunt Reid off the ledge are MUCH more responsible than those of you, who in your blind ignorance of what’s at stake here, are imploring him to jump.