New London Tube: West By Sea Kickstarter

Edward Beale wants to take you on a "vicarious virtual voyage," but could use your help.

Today's featured video is Beale's appeal on Kickstarter, in which he outlines the West By Sea journey. His wife has recovered from a 2006 surgery for brain cancer, but the experience spurred them to realize their dream of sailing around the world. They're planning to sell their house and make the trip.

Beale, a Coast Guard Academy graduate, served as a Coast Guard pilot in Antarctica. He later returned to the academy to serve as a chief academic officer as well as a member of the STEM Advisory Board of Mitchell College. He has since shifted his career focus to leadership seminars and adventuring.

He explains in the video that the travel expenses for the trip shouldn't be a problem, but that funding will go toward paying for satellite updates, camera equipment, and the printing of a book he plans to publish at the conclusion of the journey. He offers a range of choices to reward donors, including an exclusive postcard from the ship, a copy of trip journal, a post-trip Skype slideshow, the opportunity to sponsor a trip segment, or a leadership and adventure seminar for a donor's company.

And, just for fun, you also get some old footage of Beale's time as a pilot and his impression of Fat Bastard from the Austin Powers movies.

Fundraising for the journey is going on through March 31, though the couple has already shattered the initial goal of $3,000. As of Wednesday afternoon, the Kickstarter campaign had 121 backers and had raised a total of $8,823.

For more information on the Beales' journey, check out their official website.

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