Blind Japanese Sailor Crosses Pacific Ocean

Dubai – Masaader News

A blind Japanese sailor on successfully completed a near two-month, non-stop voyage from San Diego to Fukushima Prefecture, making him the first to make a so-called blind sailing Pacific Ocean crossing.

Joined by a sighted navigator, it was 52-year-old Mitsuhiro Iwamoto’s second two-handed attempt at the 14,000-kilometer journey. His first ended when his boat hit a whale and sank.

“We undertake this voyage not only for personal accomplishment, but to send a message that anything is possible when people come together,” he wrote on his webpage.

Iwamoto lost his sight at the age of 16. He made the voyage to raise money for charity and for efforts to prevent diseases that cause blindness.