Why Sailing with Phoenix Resonates
His decision to sail around the world speaks to more than a whimsical choice
“The Sea hates a coward.”
— Eugene O’Neill, American Playwright
Obtaining internet fame, however fleeting, appears to be the goal for many. Whether from a video going viral for pulling a prank, athletic feat or more infamous situations, people crave attention — good or bad. It’s no secret that many today find a society mostly lacking in purpose and meaning. A vacuous echo chamber that bombards us with empty corporate slogans and hollow virtues bestowed from Hollywood. Occasionally though, a social media personality comes along and represents more to the audience than what they set out to do.
Oliver Widget, a man from Oregon has captured the attention of millions for his decision to sail around the world with his cat Phoenix. He describes what led him to this decision after receiving a shocking medical diagnosis:
Three years ago, Oliver Widger was diagnosed with Klippel-Feil Syndrome, a condition that causes abnormal fusion of cervical vertebrae. Doctors told him surgery could lead to paralysis. That diagnosis became a turning point.
"I was diagnosed with a spine that looks like it belongs to someone over 115 years old," Widger said. "All of the vertebrae are fused. It’s just a big mess."
Faced with the possibility of a future spent immobile, Widger made a radical decision several months ago: he quit his job, cashed out his 401(k), bought a $50,000 sailboat, and started learning how to sail — with help from YouTube and a neighbor.
He said one day at work, a customer came in wearing a shirt with a sailboat on it. Widger told the customer that sailing was his dream and that he wanted to sail around the world.
"A customer told me, 'If you want to sail the world, what are you doing here?'" he said. "The next day, I quit."
Oliver and Phoenix have become very popular online, amassing over one million followers on Instagram and 750K on Tik Tok, and his progress is regularly tracked on other social media platforms. Having a Starlink satellite connection onboard, he makes daily video uploads and live broadcasts about the journey’s developments along with personal commentary. Setting off earlier this month from Oregon on his way to Hawaii, he details ship repairs and sea conditions, as well as his thoughts on the meaning of the trip.
Online travelogues are nothing new, of course. A glance on Youtube show dozens of Vloggers documenting personal treks around the globe. People in RVs, entire families on ships and others regularly update their audience on the latest places, sights and experiences they have.
What makes Oliver’s journey different?
“Fate loves the Fearless.”
-James Russell Lowell, American Poet
Receiving a medical diagnosis of a strong possibility of becoming paralyzed in the future would cause most to become more cautious in their decision-making. This is especially true for one established in a career with defined benefits and a stable footing in life. To accept these limitations and resigning one’s paradigm shift in life would be understandable. As Oliver said, the choice to sail the world was not made overnight, but sparked by a chance encounter with a customer wearing a t-shirt with a sailboat graphic. Seeing an individual actually take that leap and devote themselves to a dream resonates for many who have contemplated doing the same.
“The biggest problem that people have is just going. Everybody tries to wait for the right moment: The boat has to be perfect, the training has to be perfect. And they never go.”
— Oliver Widger, Sailing with Phoenix
The genuineness of Oliver’s videos is an aspect that cannot help but come across watching them. Oliver is not a trained media personality and himself admits that social interactions are not his forte. Yet, this lack of polish and veneer from his persona are what add a depth of authenticity to him. What you see is what you get: a guy on a sailboat with only his pet cat traversing the Pacific for the first time giving unscripted moments on the journey. With modern technology like Starlink, the audience catches original reactions and emotion of him struggling to overcome and conquer the sea on his terms. There isn’t a support ship trailing behind him just out of the camera’s view. No corporate sponsor stickers like Red Bull or Monster slapped all over the vessel.
Many also connect to the allure of deciding to step off the economic treadwheel as Oliver points out in a NYT interview this week:
“Everyone’s working these insane hours, and the cost of everything is going up. More than ever. You can be making $150,000 and barely getting by. People see somebody who has broken out of that. For them, it’s inspiration.”
With so many fake plastic trees surrounding the modern online landscape, Sailing with Phoenix is a respite from this, a reminder of the human endeavor spirit that should not be forgotten.
Excellent piece.