Oregon man follows ‘wild, impossible dream’: he quits job to sail around the world with his cat
When Oliver Widger decided he wasn’t cut out for the “corporate grind,” he didn’t just take a little time off and then look for another job. Instead, as Widger wrote recently, “I quit my career of 11 years, liquidated my 401k and stepped into the unknown.”
Widger, 29, bought a boat in Portland and moved to Warrenton to prepare for what he called “a wild, impossible dream: to sail around the world.” Accompanied only by his cat, Phoenix, Widger was determined to set sail, despite “no sailing experience. No roadmap. Just blind faith in a better future.”
Widger’s bold move has generated plenty of publicity, with several recent news stories chronicling his journey.
About a year ago, he decided to leave his job working for a tire company in Portland. Widger said that part of his decision was prompted by his being diagnosed with Klippel-Feil syndrome, which the National Organization for Rare Disorders defines as “a rare skeletal disorder characterized by the congenital fusion of two or more vertebrae of the cervical spine within the neck.”
Widger wrote: “It took three years of battling fear and facing the reality that, as a result of my cervical spine condition, I’m at risk of paralysis. That truth pushed me to finally choose a life worth living.”
According to the Cleveland Clinic, the outlook and prognosis for those who have Klippel-Feil syndrome “depends on what your disease looks like (what parts of you are affected) and any other related conditions. Each person is unique.”
After spending a year working on the boat and learning how to sail, Widger set off from the Oregon coast to Hawaii.
“On April 30th, 2025, at 8:00 a.m., I left Warrenton Marina on the Oregon Coast,” Widger posted on social media. “And if you are reading this, it means I made it past the Graveyard of the Pacific, and I’m sailing for Hawaii. Ahead of me is the journey of a lifetime. Over two thousand miles of open ocean. No land. No help. Just wind, waves and a boat I prepared with my own two hands. And of course, my first mate Phoenix.”
He continued:
“For the next several weeks, I’ll face whatever the sea throws at me. Heavy weather. Long nights. Moments of awe. Moments of doubt.And maybe, moments where I find pieces of myself I never knew were missing. This past year broke me down and built me back up. It was the hardest year of my life. It was the best year of my life.”
In his posts, Widger invites others to watch along as he sails the Pacific Ocean.
“Feel free to follow the journey,” Widger says in one post. “There’s nothing but open ocean and a beautiful sunset.”
As he told The Astorian, Widger estimated that it will take from 20 to 30 days to make the approximately 2,400-mile trip across the Pacific Ocean to Hawaii.
This morning, Widger posted that as of today, Monday, day 12 of his journey, he has sailed 1,000 miles on the ocean.
As of today, Widger’s GoFundMe fundraiser for the adventure has raised more than $50,000, and he has more than 707,000 followers on TikTok.
Widger is posting his “Sailing With Phoenix” updates on Instagram and TikTok.
— Kristi Turnquist covers features and entertainment. Reach her at 503-221-8227, kturnquist@oregonian.com and @Kristiturnquist and https://bsky.app/profile/kristiturnquist.bsky.social
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