Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Pacific Paddle Completed!

Collapse
X
Collapse
  •  

  • Pacific Paddle Completed!

    After 92 days at sea, Marin kayaker reaches Hawaii, becomes second person ever to do so
    By Gregory Thomas : https://www.sfchronicle.com/travel/a...x-17456038.php


    On Tuesday afternoon, Marin kayaker Cyril Derreumaux paddled to shore on Hawaii's big island, capping a 92-day voyage and establishing him as the first kayaker ever to travel alone from California to the islands under his own power.

    The 46-year-old Frenchman, who lives in Larkspur, had attempted the same crossing last year but was stymied by rough weather in the early going and called for a helicopter rescue off the coast of Santa Cruz. He spent a year preparing for his second bid and set out from Monterey in late June.

    "It’s been a spiritual experience," Derreumaux said Tuesday morning on a phone call with The Chronicle. At the time, he was about two miles offshore, waiting to ride a favorable tide into the bayside town of Hilo.


    Facing the finish line on a three-month adventure he'd planned for years, Derreumaux was buzzing with delight and gratitude, riding a wave of existential clarity.

    "I decluttered my brain and my spirit and completely opened my mind to the now," he said. "All I had to do was listen to what my mind was thriving to tell me, which is that all is love and fraternity, and I have a love for sharing my positivity, and that’s what I have to do for the rest of my life."

    Derreumaux had been broadcasting good vibes for the duration of the 2,400-mile journey via a blog he updated daily from the seat of his kayak. Often, he'd recall how certain songs stirred his emotions, then pass on a note of appreciation for his friends and followers: "Happy week end everyone! Love you all!" he wrote Aug. 20, 61 days into his trip.

    The 2,400-mile mid-Pacific crossing from California to Hawaii has drawn a number of seafarers in recent years — mostly rowers who set out solo or in small crews. Several have had success, but at least two people have died trying since 2019.

    Last week, Fremont rower Carlo Facchino, a friend and former crewmate of Derreumaux's, completed a 72-day solo row from San Francisco to Hilo, albeit with a brief assist at the end. In July, Half Moon Bay big-wave surfer Chris Bertish sailed into Oahu after 48 days on a one-of-a-kind wind-powered hydrofoil craft.

    What sets Derreumaux's adventure apart from others is his means of travel. Measuring only 2 feet wide, his carbon fiber kayak is much smaller, less stable and slower than burlier, oar-powered ocean rowboats. Because he needed to be within arm's reach of the water to use his paddle, Derreumaux's boat also left him more exposed to the slightest variations in surface conditions.


    Derreumaux is just the second kayaker to make the journey from California to Hawaii. The legendary sea kayaker Ed Gillet completed it in 63 days in 1987 — in miraculous fashion, without the aid of GPS or communications devices — but he was boosted by a kite affixed to his craft.

    Derreumaux, by comparison, outfitted his hull with a removable set of foot-pedal flippers, allowing him to toggle between pedaling and paddling and distinguishing his trip as purely human-powered.

    Three weeks into his voyage, Derreumaux wrote that he imagined Gillet paddling alongside him: "I guess this is what happens when you haven't seen a face in 22 days.”

    In a comment, the reclusive Gillet replied that he was eagerly following Derreumaux's journey:

    "I remember that ghostly companion feeling very well, and lots of solo adventurers have felt similar things," he wrote. "Reading your posts is really special to me because the feelings, sights, sounds, and anxieties that you describe so well echo my experiences those many years ago. Hang in there brother, the best days are just ahead."



    Derreumaux was greeted Tuesday at Hilo by his parents, friends and his longtime girlfriend, Ashley Redmond, who managed communications and social media for him during his trip.

    In contrast to Gillet, who was heralded as a maverick adventurer, Derreumaux views himself as an everyman and hopes to inspire people with his story, which will serve as the basis of a book he plans to write and a documentary film he is producing.

    "I want people to know that I'm just an ordinary guy," he said. "I hope people follow their dreams the same way. … Life is all about experience, not material possessions."

    Derreumaux said he'll relax on the island until the end of the month before returning to the Bay Area. He has lost 20 pounds while at sea and has barely stood up in more than 3 months.

    "I need at least 10 days of paradise, come on!"

      Posting comments is disabled.

    Latest Articles

    Collapse

    • The French Return To America's Cup Competition
      by Photoboy


      The organisers of the 37th America’s Cup welcome the Soci?t? nautique de Saint-Tropez and their representative team K-Challenge Racing as a challenger for the 37th America’s Cup in Barcelona in 2024 and led by Stephane Kandler and Bruno Dubois.



      Their Challenge was previously accepted by the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron and they have now chosen to formally announce their entry and confirm they are ready to proceed with their campaign.

      CEO
      ...
      01-03-2023, 09:58 AM
    • Burning Rubber In OZ
      by Photoboy
      ]

      PROJECT LANDSPEED: A POSITIVE PROGRESSION TO 200 KM/H
      Lake Gairdner - 5th December 2022

      After what has seemed like endless weather delays over the past couple of months, finally Horonuku got to stretch its legs on a dry Lake Gairdner with breeze that is edging closer into the required zone for world record attempts.








      The promising weather forecast coupled with reports of a dry lake was enough for the Landspeed
      ...
      12-05-2022, 12:49 PM
    • Dates Confirmed For AC37
      by Photoboy
      AC37 Event Limited (ACE) today confirmed both the intended race area and the race dates for the America’s Cup Match 2024.




      The Racing Area for both the Challenger Selection Series and the America’s Cup Match itself have now been agreed with Barcelona’s Capitan Maritimo and are set to the south of the City along Barcelona’s beachfront, affording the perfect natural viewing gallery right along the coastline for spectators.

      A permanent
      ...
      11-30-2022, 10:28 AM
    • Rudder Jumpers The Latest Twist For Stowaways
      by Photoboy
      Spanish coastguard finds stowaways on ship rudder



      By Mattea Bubalo
      BBC News

      Three stowaways have been found sitting on the rudder of a ship after it completed an 11-day voyage from Nigeria, Spanish authorities say.
      A photo shared by the coastguard shows the men sitting on the rudder at the oil tanker's stern, their feet less than a metre away from the water.
      They were taken to hospital at the tanker's destination in Gran Canaria and treated
      ...
      11-29-2022, 10:29 AM
    • Little Alcatraz Parkup
      by Photoboy





      On Saturday morning, a powerboat parked itself up upon Little Alcatraz around 9:55 AM
      \One man, one woman and 3 dogs were aboard.


      SFPD marine unit, USCG Helo and Vessel Assist rendered aide and got the boat off the rock with no injuries and apparently no environment impacts. ( tell that to the crushed mussels)

      We now resume the Thanksgiving Holiday weekend
      ...
      11-27-2022, 12:44 PM
    • Implementing A Solution
      by Photoboy
      AC40: IMPLEMENTING THE SOLUTION

      Auckland - 25th November 2022

      Just days ago, Emirates Team New Zealand buried the bow of their AC40 while testing in waves on Auckland’s Hauraki Gulf, which resulted in damage to the forward sections of the hull and deck structure. While the on-water team was recovering the yacht and returning to dock, the team’s engineers immediately began reviewing onboard data to identify the root cause of the issue.



      “The
      ...
      11-25-2022, 10:32 AM
    Working...
    X