▁a ▁successful ▁sal oon . ▁ ▁Not ▁content ▁with ▁this , ▁he ▁organ ised ▁an ▁expedition ▁to ▁the ▁Kl ond ike ▁to ▁join ▁the ▁gold ▁r ush ; ▁rather ▁than ▁go ▁over land , ▁he ▁and ▁his ▁group ▁sa iled ▁there , ▁via ▁Cape ▁Horn . ▁Howard , ▁after ▁a ▁disag re ement ▁with ▁his ▁partners ▁left ▁the ▁group ▁in ▁San ▁Francisco ▁after ▁a ▁short ▁trip ▁to ▁Port land , ▁Oregon ▁to ▁buy ▁l umber ▁to ▁help ▁fin ance ▁the ▁trip , ▁and ▁returned ▁home ▁never ▁having ▁p anned ▁for ▁gold . ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁quest ▁for ▁gold ▁failed , ▁Black burn ▁turned ▁his ▁attention ▁to ▁a ▁new ▁challenge ▁— ▁to ▁sail ▁single - hand ed ▁across ▁the ▁Atlantic ▁Ocean . ▁ ▁This ▁had ▁been ▁done ▁before , ▁by ▁Alfred ▁" Cent enn ial " ▁Johnson ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 6 , ▁and ▁Josh ua ▁S loc um ▁had ▁completed ▁a ▁single - hand ed ▁circ umn avigation ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 8 ; ▁but ▁for ▁a ▁man ▁with ▁no ▁fingers ▁to ▁undert ake ▁such ▁a ▁voyage ▁would ▁be ▁quite ▁an ▁accomplish ment . ▁ ▁He ▁sa iled ▁from ▁Gl ouc ester ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 9 , ▁in ▁the ▁modified ▁Gl ouc ester ▁Fish ing ▁S loop , ▁Great ▁Western , ▁and ▁reached ▁England ▁after ▁ 6 2 ▁days ▁at ▁sea . ▁ ▁Return ing ▁to ▁Gl ouc ester , ▁Black burn ▁continued ▁to ▁prosper ▁as ▁a ▁business man ; ▁but ▁he ▁still ▁h ank ered ▁for ▁advent ure