A Philadelphia fire captain pushed his boat into the waters off the nation's capital Sunday morning, to begin a 425 mile journey up the Atlantic Coast.
He's sailing a 17-foot wooden vessel he built himself.
"It can get kind of hairy out there, but that's what makes it a challenge," Fire Captain Neil Calore said. "If I was doing this in the Queen Mary, I don't think anybody would be concerned with what we are doing."
What Calore is doing, by embarking on this multi-state journey in a single sail craft, is raising awareness about children affected by autism. Calore's journey, which will take him from Washington D.C., past Philadelphia, and finish in New York City, will be raising money for the charity Autism Speaks.
According to the charity, autism affects one in every 110 children, one in every 70 boys. To follow Calore's sea voyage, you can check in on his blog.
Calore originally intended to leave Saturday morning, but the severe weather that hit the East Coast Saturday delayed his departure. He left the dock in Washington before 7 a.m. Sunday. He will be alone in the boat, but escorted along the way by Coast Guard and local emergency services.
