Mar 25 (theguardian.com) - An 83-year old man is set to sail from San Francisco on Saturday and voyage alone across the Pacific Ocean to his home country, Japan.
Kenichi Horie, also known as “Japan’s most famous yachtsman”, became the first person to make a non-stop solo crossing of the Pacific in 1962. On that trip, he was still a 23-year old amateur seaman. Horie set off from Osaka and sailed across the ocean for 94 days, surviving on canned food and rice before arriving in San Francisco.
The voyage has been widely regarded as a “one-man olive branch of post-war diplomacy” between Pacific powers, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
“Even in the states, yachtsmen are inspired by his story,” said Morgan Smith, manager of Interpretation, Education and Volunteers at San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park.
Upon arriving in San Francisco, Horie was briefly arrested as he had traveled without a passport or money and little knowledge of English. However, then Mayor George Christopher soon released him and gave him a visa in honor of his bravery.
In the 60 years since then, Horie has made multiple Pacific crossings. The boat Horie used in 1962 has been on display at San Francisco’s Maritime Museum. Named “Mermaid,” the boat lives in the museum’s foyer and is the “superstar” attraction, John Muir, the museum’s small craft curator, told the San Francisco Chronicle.
