CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — UPDATE: August 12
Jacob McLain, Miles Herndon and James Magill arrived at the Corpus Christi Marina around noon today.
Their journey began when they traveled to Sint Maarten, an island in the British Virgin Islands just east of Puerto Rico, to pick up a sailboat and bring it back to the Coastal Bend.
The trio was stuck at sea for 21 days in some rough waters before finally making it to Isla Mujeres, Mexico, 8 miles off the coast of Cancún to gather additional supplies.
Today, the trio finally made it back home, and we're told very glad to be here in South Texas.
"I come from a long line of mariners, four generations of mariners so it's in my blood," Captain Miles Herndon said.
"Between our knowledgeable Captain and Meteorologist Alan Holt, we were able to navigate some storms," sailor James Magill said. "So just getting across the Gulf and the weather we lucked out."
UPDATE: August 3
When Hurricane Hanna hit the Coastal Bend on July 25, most of us were lucky to be within the safety and comfort of our homes.
Some of us might've ventured out to the beach, but not too many of us rode it out on a boat in the middle of the ocean like these three sailors from the Coastal Bend.
When we say coastal distancing, we usually mean choosing to stay home instead of partying at the beach. Well, these sailors are redefining what it means to coastal distance and are taking it to a whole new level.
Jacob, Miles and James have already traveled over 1,400 miles on their adventure to bring a vessel to the Coastal Bend.
After 11 canceled flights due to the pandemic, they were finally able to fly into St. Croix, where the hired a fishing boat to travel 90 miles to St. Maarten, experiencing the rough sea.
They reached out by satellite phone, but the combination of the wind weather and being in the middle of the ocean made communication difficult, so we switch to text messages instead. They said because of the coronavirus, some ports are closed, making it difficult to get supplies. Another difficulty they've experienced is sleep deprivation. They said they miss their beds and families.
Although coastal distancing has been difficult, they did share the best parts of their adventurous journey. They said they've been able to see the stars like they never have. They've also seen mega pods of dolphins. The sailors agree that if it wasn't for COVID, the trip would have been less adventurous.
The group of sailors made it to Isla Mujeres, Mexico, to gather more supplies and water. This is their last stop before they begin to cross the Gulf of Mexico.
For the latest updates on coronavirus in the Coastal Bend, click here.
For the latest updates on Hurricane Hanna, click here.