Rutherford, 45, left Aasiaat, Greenland, on June 25 in an effort to be the first person to circumnavigate the Arctic Ocean on a nonstop solo journey. On Day 34 of his current journey, Rutherford spent an hour via Zoom talking about the reasons for the trip and his tumultuous childhood with crystal blue water and an even bluer sky as his backdrop. "Today will be the day I make my furthest north," Rutherford said Wednesday. Rutherford is co-director of the Annapolis, Maryland-based Ocean Research Project, which describes its multipronged mission as discovering ocean mysteries, observing humanity's impact on the oceans' health and inspiring change and public awareness. For much of the journey, Rutherford needs to be on watch for floating ice that can cause irreparable damage to his boat.