Long-distance paddleboarder arriving Monday

Adam Nagler is raising money for M.V. Community Services during his Eastern Seaboard paddle.

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Adam Nagler, a long-distance paddleboarder, is set to arrive on the Vineyard Monday after traveling hundreds of miles on the Atlantic Ocean on a 14-foot paddleboard.

In June, Nagler began his journey at the Little River Inlet in South Carolina. 

He’s scheduled to arrive at Eastville Beach in Vineyard Haven by Monday. 

The exact timing of when he arrives is up in the air. He’s got more than 100 miles to paddle in the next few days, barring any unexpected fronts that move in.

The Times reached Nagler Wednesday morning, just before he was setting out for the final leg of his journey from Long Island. He said that he had a favorable Southwest breeze that will help him get to the Vineyard on time.

This trip is a fundraiser for Martha’s Vineyard Community Services. He says the solo trips serve as a metaphor for the journey individuals with mental health issues face. At times, he says, the journey can be isolating, demanding, and filled with uncertainty. Money raised will benefit Community Services’ mental health programs, from counseling to post-traumatic stress support for veterans, to crisis intervention.

“It’s a natural fit,” he said of the Vineyard, and M.V. Community Services. “It’s an important part of the world, where I have a close, visceral connection to the water and the people there.”

This isn’t the first trip along the Eastern Seaboard that Nagler has made. Last year, he completed his second long-distance journey to Nantucket. He set off with his paddleboard from Cape Hatteras Light in Buxton, N.C., and 600-plus miles and 30 days later, he landed on Nantucket.

Aside from Nantucket, over the past 10 years, Nagler has clocked some 55,000 miles of training and expeditions on a paddleboard. 

But he’s calling it quits after this latest trip, at least for the Atlantic Ocean. He says that he’s routinely landed in the hospital. He says that he can handle the physicality and the endurance of long-distance paddling, but he’s gotten infections after portaging his paddleboard through swamps and other areas. “This is the last one,” he said.

Officials with Martha’s Vineyard Community Services say they are pleased to be on the receiving end of Nagler’s efforts.

“It’s an honor that Adam chose MVCS to be the beneficiary of the Wicked 1,000,” said Beth Folcarelli, MVCS chief executive officer, in a release issued earlier this year. “We’re so grateful for his commitment, and look forward to welcoming him to the Vineyard later this summer.”

Nagler’s journey can be tracked at share.garmin.com/AdamNagler, and donations in honor of the Wicked 1,000 can be made at mvcommunityservices.org/wicked-1000.