Blind Sailor Completes Nonstop Pacific Crossing

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April 20, 2019

A Japanese sailor who is blind has sailed across the Pacific Ocean without stopping. Mitsuhiro Iwamoto is the first visually impaired person to make the 8,700-mile crossing.

Mitsuhiro Iwamoto

Iwamoto, 52, sailed a 40-foot yacht named Dream Weaver from San Diego, California, to Fukushima, Japan. Iwamoto was at the controls, and his navigator, American Doug Smith, relayed wind directions and potential hazards. Iwamoto also used an audio compass and a vocalized GPS. The trip took two months.

Iwamoto had tried once before, in 2013, sailing in the opposite direction. His 28-foot boat struck a 50-foot blue whale and sank, and the Japanese military came to the rescue. The second time, when the boat reached Fukushima, Iwamoto was all smiles.

The jubilant Iwamoto, who lost his sight when he was 16, said that he made the journey in order to raise money for charities that help treat and prevent diseases that cause blindness. A crowdfunding campaign started online raised $4,300.

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