"It can't be done." Those four magical words have fueled many an adventurous dream, from Sir Edmund Hillary's Mount Everest ascent in 1953 ("The physiologists had warned us that it might be impossible … even using oxygen," he said in 2003) to David Blaine's underwater breath-holding stunt in April 2008 on Oprah (he astounded naysayers by lasting 17 minutes, 4 seconds).
Granted, boaters tend to chase outlandish pursuits on water rather than under it, and closer to sea level than Everest's 29,029 feet, but the challenges are often no less daunting. Just about every summer, boaters armed with a few weeks' vacation, a crazy idea and — many hope — a fistful of sponsorship dollars set out to test their mettle.
This year's fate-tempters include three duos with little in common except their planned pursuits: 20-something sisters Katie and Elizabeth McPhail, who hope to complete the 5,805-mile Great American Loop in a 16-foot Duroboat; 50-ish brothers Ralph and Bob Brown, who aim to dart from Florida up the Eastern seaboard to Newfoundland and skim — literally — across the North Atlantic in a 21-foot Dreamboats flats boat, covering 6,200 total miles; and collegiate best friends Alex Debbout and Alex Golubiewski, who will guide a 14-foot Starcraft pontoon down the 1,800-mile Mississippi River.
Each pair has numerous questions on their minds: Is this possible? Can we secure sponsors? What if our engine blows? The question we're asking is: Why? What motivates everyday boaters to tackle such feats?
For our three pairs, the answer boils down to these overriding themes:
Demonstration
Yep, commerce is part of it. The McPhails' father, Larry, runs Duroboat. Katie, 25, works for the company; naturally, the sisters will captain one of its models. "We'd like to show the capabilities of our smaller boat to people who might not have a ton of money to spend," Larry says.
Ralph Brown owns Dreamboats, which manufacturers the flats boat he and his brother will pilot. "Some boats handle 8-foot chop; some boats run in 5 inches. We think ours does both," he says. They made it to Bermuda and back last year, but anticipate bigger waves (up to 15 feet) in the North Atlantic — ridiculous for a little flats boat. "We grew up surfing in Cocoa Beach, and this boat is a lot like a board," Ralph says.
Celebration
"We've always spent our summers on the water, at Lake Sammamish, but 'scooping the loop' seems like the best way to celebrate my first few months out of college," says Elizabeth McPhail, 21, who graduates this spring.
The Brown brothers have planned a "London Victory Bash" on Aug. 8 to coincide with Bob's 52nd birthday. "We've invited the BBC and the royal family," Ralph says. Seriously.
Inspiration
The fire for the McPhail girls was stoked after they read John Mirassou's Great Loop chronicle, Only in America. "I thought, Wow, I'd love to do that," Katie says. "We also want to inspire other young people to get involved in boating."
Adventure
Alex and Alex plan to leave Minneapolis May 18 on their pontoon, meeting friends and seeking out homecooked meals down river. "Life's too short to spend it working all the time," says 20-year-old Debbout.
Camaraderie
Katie believes she and Elizabeth will become closer. "Growing up, we had trouble sharing a room, so sharing a 16-foot boat for three months could be tricky."
Proving It
"People said we were lucky the first time," Bob Brown says of the brothers' Bermuda trek. "I don't know if they were jealous, but they say we can't do this either."
Scores of adventurers have completed the Great Loop in smaller vessels, but the McPhails know of no other two-women teams. "They want to prove a couple of gals can do it too," dad Larry says.
Can these intrepid boaters do it? By summer's end, the answer will be even clearer than the motivations behind their crazy dreams.
Check out posts from the McPhail sister's blog for their latest experiences as they travel the Great Loop.
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