About me and the expedition
My name is Manuela Legorreta, I am 21 years old and I am from Mexico City.
I have been doing long sailing passages every time I get a chance in between school semesters since I was 18.
This year, I will join the Infinity crew to do an extraordinary expedition: the Northwest Passage. We will attempt to go as far north as the ice allows us, being the first sailing vessel to sail that far north. I have been dreaming of doing this trip for a very long time and I have finally found a ship and a crew to do it.
The Northwest Passage has been described as the Everest of sailing. It is one of the most legendary waterways on the planet.
In the history of maritime exploration no other part of the world has proved to be more difficult and has taken longer to conquer. The reason is quite simple: in spite of all the advances in boat design, technology and methods of navigation, the challenges faced by those sailing in the high Arctic have remained basically the same. Even today, less than 200 vessels have successfully completed the entire route.
The effects of climate change, are very notorious in the Arctic and have certainly played a role in making conditions for a successful transit somewhat easier but, however well prepared you might be, Mother Nature still has the last word.
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I am currently looking for funding in order to be able to afford the necessary equipment for such harsh conditions. I would very much appreciate any help you could provide.
Sailing in search of peace
The Ship
Infinity is a 120 ft. sailing ketch built in 1977 in California. She is the largest Ferro-cement ship in service today at 200 tons with a sail-area of 400 m2. She is built tough, sails well and has proven herself in the roughest storms both at sea and at anchor. Infinity has sailed in ice-flows of Antarctica, by reefs and atolls, even in rivers and fjords. She has been a reliable base-camp and a cosy home to over 200 crew and community members including children in the remotest of regions. She is effectively equipped and carries two large tenders, a 19 ft. fibreglass boat with 50 HP outboard and a 16 ft. Zodiac with 40 HP outboard. Her handcrafted hardwood interior boasts ample communal spaces that include a cosy library, a large project room, and a 360° panorama-view saloon. There is an open galley with pizza-oven, fridge and freezer, and a workshop complete with tools and welding equipment. Inifinity’s exterior decks are spacious with a dive-station, swim-platform, shaded areas and a crow’s-nest in the rigging. She is powered by a 450 HP V10 MAN diesel engine and equipped with a 20 kW 3-phase marine generator, a water-maker producing 220 L/h and a 16 CFM SCUBA compressor. 25-man life raft, safety equipment, medical oxygen, SCUBA-dive-gear, kayaks, surfboards and a film projector complete the outfit.
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The journey begins with one unifying belief: we, as humans, are failing our planet.
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If we wish to live in harmony with ourselves and each other, we need to live as change-makers focused on love, nurturing and health. We can no longer live in a state of fear. We need to change, and the change starts from within.
The Sea Gypsies will try, and at times fail, to live that change.
Our crew is constantly working together to identify collective and individual behaviours which contribute to the degradation of the natural world or are a disruptive force to our wellbeing or that of other sentinent beings. We are on a quest to discover what it takes and how it feels to challenge our habits and routines, the ways we communicate, and the love we give to others. From the northernmost reachable point, in some of the harshest environments on earth, our diverse yet united group will embrace radical personal change, and hopefully inspire others to join in, hands and hearts for peace.