Reposted with permission from Waggoner August 30, 2024. Original article.
 

Around the Americas from Anacortes!

by Lorena and Leonard Landon | Aug 30, 2024

Did you know that the Pacific Northwest is playing a major role in the 2025 Expedition to circumnavigate North and South America? Captain Mark Schrader, Project Director Jennifer Dalton and crew will be heading on a 14-month circumnavigation expedition on the 48-foot sailing vessel named ONE OCEAN.

Captain and Crew. Captain Mark Schrader will be leading the expedition, departing Anacortes in May 2025. Mark Schrader, an experienced sailor, was the first American to circumnavigate the globe singlehanded via the Five Capes of the Southern Ocean. He has served as Race Director for the Around Alone Race and is the co-founder, along with David Rockefeller Jr., of Sailors for the Sea. Our own Mike Beemer, Skagit Valley College Chairman for the Marine Tec. Center in Anacortes, will be one of the essential crew members for the Around the Americas (ATA). There will be permanent crew members and rotating crew members for various legs of the expedition.

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Crew in front of One Ocean

The Mission. Mark Schrader previously completed the Around the Americas Route in 2009-2010, which he and his crew will be following for the May 2025 to June 2026 expedition. The mission of the journey is to spread the vision that North and South America are One Island, surrounded by One Ocean. A science-based curriculum will be shared with school districts in Skagit Valley and with schools at over 50+ ports along the route. The curriculum will allow students from kindergarten through college to connect with and engage in the ATA Project.

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A selection of Ocean Watch images from the Around the Americas expedition.

Scientific Studies. Various scientific studies will be conducted during the voyage, including the study of bull kelp – where and how far north does bull kelp grow? Team scientists, educators, and storytellers on the expedition will share a continuous collection of data and research that will be open and available to all scientists. The expedition’s pole-to-pole study on kelp will be conducted by the University of Victoria in collaboration with the University of California and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. The Applied Physics Lab at the University of Washington will have research operations on board – a meteorological station conducting surface heat flux calculations, and buoys to measure wave and ocean/atmosphere properties. A high-resolution satellite camera allows ocean enthusiasts to follow the sailboat.

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itinerary destinations

The Route. After departing Anacortes, Washington the first stop will be in Victoria, BC to participate in the International Seaweed Symposium. After other stops in British Columbia and stops in Alaska, it’s off to transit the Northwest Passage, summer 2025. After cruising along the North America and Central America coasts, the expedition plans to arrive in Brazil to attend the Climate Change Conference in November 2025. Christmas will be celebrated in Uruguay. The expedition will then navigate around Cape Horn and sail along the west coast of South America before completing their circumnavigation back to Anacortes.

Preparations and How to Engage. Around the Americas is a huge undertaking involving crew preparations, scientific preparations, and the preparation of the vessel itself. Mike Beemer and others will be engaged in changing out the engine for the sailing vessel ONE OCEAN and installing a new generator. This is also an expensive undertaking and donations from various organizations and individuals are much appreciated. The Skagit Valley College Foundation (SVC) is the fiduciary IRS 501 (c) (3) nonprofit partner for Around the Americas. Please contact foundation@skagit.edu for providing contributions. If you don’t need a tax identification number, then you can donate directly through VENMO@oneislandoneocean. Sponsorship opportunities are available.

Follow Along with Waggoner. Waggoner will be following the Around the Americas expedition, posting articles and hosting webinars regarding boat preparations, studies, and travel experiences as they become available. Those interested in helping the expedition or want to learn more, contact Project Director Jennifer Dalton at atamericasjd@gmail.com or Captain Mark Schrader at atamericas@gmail.com.
 

Created by
Lorena and Leonard Landon via Waggoner
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News
Location
Anacortes