83-Year-Old Japanese Man Becomes the Oldest Person To Sail Solo Across the Pacific Ocean

Oldest Person Sails Solo Across Pacific Ocean

It's never too late to accomplish your dream, which Kenichi Horie has proved multiple times. The 83-year-old Japanese seafarer became the oldest person to sail solo across the Pacific Ocean—60 years after he became the first person to achieve this feat at the age of 23.

“I didn’t think I’d be sailing at 83 but I’m still healthy and I didn’t want to miss this chance,” he said. “Challenges are exciting so I’d like to keep trying.” Horie started his trip on March 27 from San Francisco with his customized 19-feet-long aluminum boat called the Suntory Mermaid III. He spent 69 days at sea, always remembering to make a daily call to his family so that they knew he was safe. “I’m always fine, always in shape,” he explains. “No overeating, no over-drinking.”

Eventually, after numerous days at sea, Horie arrived at Cape Hinomisaki in western Japan on June 4. Although traversing the world's largest body of water alone might be terrifying to most people, Horie has been completing this journey since he was 23. “I had the confidence that I would make it—I just wanted to take on the challenge,” he says of his first trip in 1962. When he arrived in San Francisco at the end of his first trip, Horie had no money or passport and was quickly detained. However, once everyone learned his story, he was released and gifted a visa by major George Christopher for his bravery. The first vessel he used, called the Mermaid, remains at the National Maritime Museum in California.

Since then, the fearless adventurer made more trips from Japan to California (and vice versa) using a variety of different vessels, such as one made from beer kegs and whisky barrels and another that was created with aluminum cans. He says that he will continue sailing as long as he is able to.”Don't let your dreams just stay as dreams,” Horie advises. “Have a goal and work towards achieving this and a beautiful life awaits.”

Kenichi Horie, an 83-year-old Japanese man, became the oldest person to sail solo across the Pacific Ocean.

He began his journey in San Francisco and, after 69 days of sailing, arrived at Cape Hinomisaki in western Japan.

h/t: [The Guardian]

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Margherita Cole

Margherita Cole is a Contributing Writer at My Modern Met and illustrator based in Southern California. She holds a BA in Art History with a minor in Studio Art from Wofford College, and an MA in Illustration: Authorial Practice from Falmouth University in the UK. She wrote and illustrated an instructional art book about how to draw cartoons titled 'Cartooning Made Easy: Circle, Triangle, Square' that was published by Walter Foster in 2022.
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