VI
EN
In early June 2022, 83-year-old Japanese man Kenichi Horie set a record by becoming the oldest person in the world to cross the Pacific Ocean solo.
Before setting off, Mr. Horie revealed that his only fear when undertaking this solo journey was his age. However, he overcame that fear and proved that age is not an obstacle. The 83-year-old man reached the waters off the Kii Peninsula in western Japan at 2:39 local time after two months crossing the world's largest ocean.
During his voyage from Shikoku to Wakayama Prefecture, Japan, Mr. Horie gave an interview to CNN via satellite phone. He shared that he wanted to instill in people the belief that "don't let dreams remain just dreams. Set goals and strive to achieve them, and a beautiful life awaits you."
Conquering the Pacific Ocean at the young age of 23.
At the age of 23, while working as an auto parts salesman, he became the first person in history to successfully complete a trans-Pacific voyage – from Japan to California.
"I was confident I could do it – I wanted to take on the challenge myself," Horie added. There were times when he felt anxious during storms at sea because he only had a radio and no GPS at the time.
Kenichi Horie set sail at the age of 23.
He crossed the Atlantic in 94 days.
At the time, Horie was just an amateur swimmer. He crossed the ocean for 94 days in a 5.8-meter plywood boat. After surviving on rice and canned food, he sailed under San Francisco's Golden Gorge without prior notice, a passport, or money.
Although Horie lacked official documentation, he stated that the then-Mayor of San Francisco, George Christopher, had granted him a visa. At the time, donations poured in to support Horie, and he received so much media attention that interviews with him were limited to 20 minutes at a time, according to the Gadsden Times.
Setting sail at the age of 83
Horie set sail on his 990kg, 5.8m long sailboat, the Suntory Mermaid III, from San Francisco, California, on March 26th. The boat was custom-built for him and contained a full survival kit, books for entertainment, and canned food for the trip. During his voyage, Horie said that because he had read many books while sailing, he spent the entire two months immersing himself in the beautiful scenery.
Age did not prevent him from crossing the Atlantic.
Before his departure, friends from the Silicon Valley Sailing Club also came to see Horie off and brought him some food to last him for the next few months. Nick Sugimoto, a fellow club member, said he admired Horie's courage and that he might never have been brave enough to do what the 83-year-old man had done.
At the launch ceremony in San Francisco, Kenichi Horie said he never thought he would be standing there at the age of 83. However, he was very happy to have dared to take on this challenge again. "My dream is to sail until I'm 100, if I'm still alive," Horie added.
When asked if he was confident about his journey, Horie affirmed, “Always,” except for storms or unusually dangerous weather phenomena. Horie said some parts of the journey were challenging, but he kept in touch with his family every day by calling them on his satellite phone. “If I didn’t call at least once a day, they would worry,” he added.
Horie and his small sailboat crossed the Atlantic Ocean.
He lived in the confined space of the boat.
Horie did not make any port calls during his voyage and was spotted leaving Oahu Island in Hawaii on April 16. He arrived at Cape Hinomisaki in western Japan on June 4.
Many questions were sent to Mr. Horie about how he managed to maintain his health for months at sea or whether being alone without communication made him feel lonely. The man simply replied, "This is a journey, and these are the rules you have to figure out and overcome."
Environmentally friendly
In the 60 years since his first voyage, Horie has crossed the Pacific Ocean numerous times in environmentally friendly vessels. He has traveled from Hawaii to Okinawa on a pedal-powered boat, and spent 148 days from Ecuador to Tokyo on a solar-powered boat made from recycled aluminum.
Horie next to his old boat from his youth.
In 1999, he sailed a boat made from beer barrels along the West Coast of the United States to Japan. Three years later, he sailed back from Japan to the United States in a boat using recycled whiskey barrels. Horie has spent decades sharing the idea that the ocean is "an irreplaceable source of life for the Earth," but he doesn't identify as an environmental activist. "I'm just doing my part as a member of society," Horie says.
