In 1962 he sailed solo crossing the Pacific from Nishinomiya Japan to San Francisco (Alone in the Pacific). In 1974 he sailed solo nonstop westwards around the world. He was a Japanese adventurer who in 1978-1982 in the small yacht Mermaid made a solo East to West Transit of the Northwest Passage - and continued to circumnavigate North and South America. In 1989 he completed a solo voyage in the smallest yacht to cross the Pacific. In 1992 he sialed solo from Ecuador to Tokyo Japan in the Malt's Mermaid (a vessel constructed from recycled aluminum and powered by solar cells). In 1992-93 he sailed a pedal-powered boat from Hawaii to Okinawa. In 1999 he sailed across the Pacific from San Francisco CA to the Akashi Channel Bridge in the Malt's Mermaid II (constructed from recycled beer cans). In 2002 he sailed from Nishinomiya Japan to San Francisco to commemorate his "Alone in the Pacific" voyage. The hull of that vessel was constructed from recycled white oak from used whiskey barrels. The mast was made from recycled aluminum cans and the sails from recycled plastic bottles. The Mermaid is on display at the San Francisco Maritime Museum since her historic voyage. |