Longest non-stop ocean voyage

The longest continuous sea voyage lasted 1,152 days by Reid Stowe (USA), who set sail from the 12th Street pier in Hoboken, New Jersey, USA, at 3 pm (EDT) on 21 April 2007 and returned, just over three years later, on 17 June 2010. His adventure, dubbed "1,000 Days at Sea: The Mars Ocean Odyssey", was inspired by the idea of a return trip to the planet Mars, testing the limits of human endurance.

The journey took place onboard Stowe's self-built 70-ft (21.3-m) gaff-rigged schooner Anne (formerly the Tantra Schooner), which set sail with three-years' worth of non-perishable supplies, dried fruit and nuts, and a bean-sprout garden.

Stowe was joined at the start of his journey by his girlfriend, Soanya Ahmad; after 306 days at sea, however, suffering from "chronic seasickness", Ahmad was evacuated to a rescue boat off Rottnest Island, near Perth in Western Australia. Stowe later heard by satellite phone that Ahmad had actually been suffering from morning sickness, and in July, once back in New York, she gave birth to their son, Darshen. Stowe was reunited with Ahmad, and met his two-year son for the first time, upon arrival in New York.

Stowe and Ahmad's 306 days together represents the longest time spent on the open sea by a couple, and the longest time at sea by a woman. The remaining 846 days that Stowe spent sailing alone is also a record for the longest solo sea journey without resupplies.

In addition to her six tonnes of supplies, Anne was fitted out with solar panels, a satellite phone and GPS. On day 15, the schooner was grazed by a passing frigate that damaged the bowsprit, and on day 659 she survived being upended by a monster wave that knocked Stowe unconscious.

Stowe beat the record of 419 days at sea solo held by Jon Sanders of Australia, who coincidentally was among the rescue crew that ferried Admad to dry land on day 306 of the adventure; Sanders also held the overall record for longest time at sea (657 days) until beaten by Stowe. He also surpassed the 1,057 days logged by the Norwegian explorer Fridtjof Nansen after his ship became stuck in ice during an attempted trip to the North Pole in 1893. His adventure has also been described as the slowest circumnavigation of the planet under sail!