The British woman attempting a solo crossing of the North Pacific arrived today in Adak. 28-year-old Sarah Outen left Japan this April in a one-person partially enclosed boat. This afternoon she was being towed by a small boat around the island, into Adak’s Harbor. She saw a person face to face today for the first time in 150 days.
After 3,700 miles and four months at sea, Outen is the first person to row solo from Japan to Alaska. She’s faced gale force winds along the way and a stressful final stretch into the Aleutians. She was almost hit by a cargo ship last week because her vessel tracking unit was not working. She’s also struggled with health issues. The journey has had its high points: she became engaged with her girlfriend over satellite phone.
Outen plans to fly home to England and train over the winter before resuming the trip. Next spring, she will join adventurer Justin Curgenven and kayak to mainland Alaska. From there she will jump on her bike and go across Canada. She’ll then get back in the rowboat and cross the Atlantic alone to England.
Ben Matheson is a contributor with the Alaska Public Radio Network.
