It takes a certain adventurousness and determination to row a boat across the Atlantic Ocean. And probably just a little bit of craziness, too. Yet, the challenge is one that has appealed to dozens of men and women over the years, ever since John Ridgeway and Chay Blythe rowed a Downeast dory from Maine to Ireland in the 1960s. The most recent record-breaking crossing is notable for the youth of the oarsman and for the quickness of the trip. Read R. Daren Price’s wrap up of the adventure first published on NBC Philadelphia’s website.
On Dec. 14, 2017, Oliver Crane started rowing. He didn’t stop until he put an entire ocean behind him.
“3,000 miles and you start with a single stroke,” he said.
The Princeton, New Jersey, 19-year-old on Sunday became the youngest person ever to row solo across the Atlantic Ocean, topping a 2010 effort by then 22-year-old adventurer Katie Spotz. And his 44-day voyage from the Canary Islands off of Northwestern Africa to the Caribbean isle of Antigua didn’t just earn a record: It has helped Crane raise more than $60,000 for Oceana and a homelessness charity in New Jersey. Read more.
