The Young Man and the Sea

At age 19, Oliver Crane ’22 became the youngest person to row solo across the Atlantic Ocean when he landed in Antigua Jan. 28. Crane began the 3,000-mile, 44-day journey Dec. 14 in the Canary Islands. “Mentally, it’s about just saying, ‘I’m going to stay on that boat until I get across,’” he told the website nj.com.

His 23-foot vessel was equipped with solar panels, navigation equipment, a water purifier, freeze-dried food, and a radio. Crane lost 25 pounds during the journey and raised more than $60,000 for Oceana, an ocean-conservation advocacy organization; and HomeFront, a New Jersey charity that helps the homeless.

Crane, who was accepted for admission to the Class of 2021, took a gap year and will enroll in the fall with the Class of 2022. He said that he plans to try out for Princeton’s rowing team. His brother, Cason Crane ’17, climbed the highest mountain on each continent.