Around the Americas

Having already sailed in all of Earth’s oceans, two-time circumnavigator Mark Schrader is now captaining a unique expedition dubbed Around the Americas, which aims to raise awareness of the issues threatening the marine environment — including global climate change.

As the name implies, the expedition, which departed Seattle’s Shilshole Marina May 31, will take Schrader and crewmembers David Logan, Herb McCormick and David Thoreson around both North and South America aboard a specially equipped 64-ft cutter named Ocean Watch. Along their 24,000-mile route, which will initially take them through the Northwest Passage, the crew and guest researchers will conduct a variety of scientific studies and will host on-board educational presentations at 30 pre-determined port stops in 11 countries.

A variety of teachers are also expected to join specific legs of the trip, as marine education is a primary focus of the project. As such, bilingual curriculum materials and a K-8 teacher’s guide will be available at the Around the Americas website by mid-summer. This ambitious project is a joint collaboration between the Pacific Science Center, the University of Washington’s Applied Physics Laboratory and Sailors for the Sea, a Boston-based nonprofit founded by David Rockefeller, Jr. Look for further updates here as the team completes their unprecedented lap around the Americas.