Famous Sailors

We spend a lot of time on the water and love being able to share our passion for the ocean with you. Now that you know how to navigate a powerboat, you may want to learn more about the famous sailors that came before you (and most before the powerboat itself).

We’ve compiled a list of five fabulously famous sailors. Although some certainly had their controversies, their stories still make for great reading, even today.

Jessica Watson

This was the 16 year old girl who, in 2010, became the youngest person to ever sail without help and without stopping around the world. An absolutely amazing and seemingly fearless young lady!

Captain James Cook

Credited with many achievements, including accurately mapping the coastline of New Zealand and North America’s northwest coast, Captain Cook took three epic voyages in the late 1700s, making many discoveries along the way. He also debunked Aristotle’s theory that there was a giant southern continent (Antarctica) that also included Australia and New Zealand.

Magellan

Credited with the first circumnavigation of the earth, Magellan and his crew were true explorers, absolutely fearless! Unfortunately, Magellan died at sea, but many landmarks were named in his memory, such as the Strait of Magellan.

Joshua Slocum

The first to single-handedly circumnavigate the world, Slocum did so in 1898. Unfortunately, he disappeared on another voyage in 1909 on his way to the Caribbean.

Thor Heyerdahl

By building a handmade raft and sailing from South America to French Polynesian Islands in the mid-twentieth century, Heyerdahl proved that it was possible that the first settlers on the South Pacific islands were originally from South America.