Cruising Club of America Awards 2021 Blue Water Medal to Ginger and Peter Niemann

The Cruising Club of America (CCA) has named Ginger and Peter Niemann of Washington state the recipients of the 2021 Blue Water Medal in recognition of two remarkable sailing circumnavigations. Their voyages took them to the high latitudes, including separate westward and eastward global passages, and tested their seamanship through long non-stop passages, extended isolation, and the many logistical challenges created by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Their first circumnavigation, completed between 2006 and 2010, was a westerly voyage aboard Marcy, a 47-foot schooner that the Niemanns had converted to a sloop. On that trip they rounded both the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Horn, navigating some of the world’s most demanding and remote ocean passages. That westward route demonstrated a high level of skill in heavy-weather sailing and long-range navigation.

Their second major circumnavigation began in 2016 aboard Irene, a 52-foot fiberglass ketch. This voyage took a very different route and character: they transited the Northwest Passage, visited Greenland and Newfoundland, sailed down the U.S. East Coast and crossed the Atlantic to Ireland. When the Covid-19 pandemic erupted, the Niemanns found themselves stranded in Turkey and faced a difficult re-routing decision. They elected to continue east and transit the Suez Canal, beginning a forced, continuous ocean passage across the Indian Ocean during monsoon season in order to reach Indonesia.

That Indian Ocean crossing was particularly arduous: undertaken out of necessity, it required relentless vigilance, careful weather routing, and robust seamanship to manage a long, non-stop passage through seasonal storms. Once they reached Indonesia, unexpected administrative changes revoked their permission to remain, leaving them with limited safe options. They ultimately found refuge at the Changi Sailing Club in Singapore, where pandemic restrictions confined them to life aboard Irene for approximately five months. Over the course of the pandemic-influenced section of their voyage, the Niemanns spent nearly 300 days when they were not permitted to go ashore.

On February 2, 2021, with restrictions easing and passage planning in hand, they departed Singapore for the Pacific Northwest. Their homeward leg included stops in Japan and a transit through the Aleutian Islands, where they were finally allowed to set foot on land again after months at sea and in quarantine. Across both circumnavigations, the Niemanns demonstrated tenacity, resourcefulness and a commitment to careful, experienced seamanship in confronting polar passages, heavy weather, and the logistical complexities posed by an ongoing global pandemic.

The Blue Water Medal, awarded regularly since 1923 by the Cruising Club of America, recognizes “meritorious seamanship and adventure upon the sea displayed by amateur sailors of all nationalities, that might otherwise go unrecognized.” Past recipients include notable names from sailing history, reflecting the prize’s long-standing role in honoring exceptional small-boat ocean voyaging and individual acts of seamanship.

The Cruising Club of America itself is a membership organization made up of accomplished ocean sailors. With roughly 1,400 members and no physical clubhouse, the CCA focuses on fostering offshore seamanship, safety, and sea‑going excellence. The club also plays an active role in organizing major ocean events: in even-numbered years the CCA partners with the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club to run the Newport Bermuda Race.

Ginger and Peter Niemann’s award is a recognition not only of their technical and navigational skills but also of their perseverance, adaptability, and sustained commitment to safe and responsible voyaging under extremely challenging and unpredictable conditions. For those interested in reading firsthand accounts of their trips, the Niemanns have documented their journeys in detail on their personal sailing blog, where they share logs, route notes and reflections from both circumnavigations.

By honoring the Niemanns with the 2021 Blue Water Medal, the Cruising Club of America highlights the enduring spirit of adventure and seamanship that drives long-distance cruising and celebrates sailors who push the boundaries of exploration while maintaining the highest standards of safety and self-reliance at sea.