A Scottish man trying to sail across the Atlantic by himself in a custom-built rowboat made landfall just days into his voyage – but in a place thousands of miles away from his intended destination.
Duncan Hutchison, of Lochinver, had to be rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard on Monday after bad weather caused his boat to drift around 20 miles east of Barnegat Light along the New Jersey coastline. He had set sail from Jersey City last Thursday, hoping to travel more than 3,000 miles in 90 to 100 days and raise money for Water Aid – a charity that aims to deliver clean water to underdeveloped countries.
“It was great to use my skills as a surfman to navigate the heavy seas and wind, and my crew did an outstanding job making this a successful rescue,” Petty Officer 2nd Class Eric Thornton said following the rescue, according to Fox 5 New York. “We highly recommended always checking the weather before departing on any ocean excursion because conditions can change instantly.” Read more.
