SAN DIEGO (KGTV/CNN) - John Silverwood was meant to be on the ocean.
"It's like this whole burrito of everything that I really like. The wind, stars, waves. Being in that environment brings me closer to God and I relish that," Silverwood said.
In 2005, Silverwood and his family had a scary moment.
"I shipwrecked with my wife and four kids deep in the South Pacific and the five of them were almost killed," Silverwood said.
They hit a reef and were stranded for a day.
"There's about five different reasons why we shipwrecked and they're all interrelated. If our course was different by 20 yards, we never would have hit," Silverwood said.
Now he is headed out again.
A three-week voyage to Hawaii, this time alone.
"It's about redemption you know. I need to be redeemed of that guilt," Silverwood said.
Guilt of almost losing his family, and his own life in the shipwreck.
"The backside of the spreader is what goes right through my leg, through every bone, every artery," Silverwood said.
He is setting sail all by himself, on one leg, and raising money for his non-profit, GodSwellSailing.com, to buy a boat for disabled passengers.
"It's crazy to have a town like San Diego and nobody's serving that demand. I want to take people that are ill out and make them feel better," Silverwood said.
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