An 83-Year-Old Japanese Man Becomes The Oldest Person To Sail The Entire Pacific Ocean.

 

We have all heard of the adage ‘age is just a number’, and yachtsman Kenichi Horie from Japan is an example of this saying. He successfully became the oldest person to sail solo non-stop across the Pacific. But this is not the first time he sailed the Pacific, but was the first to do it way back in 1962 traveling from California to Japan. From then on, the 83-year-old is regarded as “Japan’s most famous yachtsman”.

 

Kenichi Horie successfully arrived in the waters off the Kii peninsula in western Japan, after more than two months at sea. During his journey, Horie had an inspiring message to share, he told CNN over a satellite phone, “Don’t let your dreams just stay as dreams. Have a goal and work towards achieving this and a beautiful life awaits.”

 

On March 27, he set sail from San Francisco, California, in the Suntory Mermaid III, his 990kg 19ft-long pale aluminum vessel, customized to fit his 5ft build. Previously Horie has gone on many such expeditions in vessels made from aluminum cans, beer kegs, and whiskey barrels and powered by solar panels and foot pedals.

 

What’s remarkable is that Horie doesn’t train for his voyage, he told San Francisco Chronicle, “I’m always fine, always in shape … No overeating, no over-drinking. I had the confidence that I would make it – I just wanted to take on the challenge,” he said of his first time.

 

However, there were times when the yachtsman was anxious during the storms with just a radio.  He survived this trip living on rice and canned food.

 

“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 told CNN. “Challenges are exciting so I’d like to keep trying.”