A California sailor is celebrating a remarkable rescue after determination, resourcefulness, and kindness helped him survive 45 days alone in the Pacific Ocean.
Kaichi “Kai” Sato, 39, left Catalina Island on June 7, hoping to complete his first solo voyage across the Pacific. Two weeks into the journey, however, his mast snapped in half and left his sailboat drifting far from its intended route.
“I cried for a whole week, just drifting south, like miserable,” Sato told Hawaii News Now. “I felt like I was going to just try to turn my motor on and just suffocate, to kill myself.”
When the boat’s motor ran out of fuel during his attempt to reach land, Sato’s situation became even more difficult.
“I was literally like a sitting duck, just getting taken south by the current going way off course,” he said.
After five days of reflection, Sato found the strength to focus on survival. Drawing on creativity and practical skills, he repaired his sails as well as he could using PVC pipes and kayak paddles.
He carefully made use of the limited resources around him. His meals included leftover oatmeal as well as fish and squid that landed aboard the boat. To obtain moisture, he placed seawater in buckets and covered them with plastic bags, collecting condensation that he could lick from the plastic.
Sato also relied on spiritual discipline to remain hopeful and steady. He meditated, spoke to the wind and water, and remembered his uncle and mentor, who had sailed with him from California to Hawaii when Sato was a boy.
After about a month at sea, Sato managed to guide the damaged sailboat back toward his original California-to-Hawaii route. His perseverance was rewarded on July 21, when the crew of the Pasha Hawaii container ship M/V George III spotted him.
Sato said he was “ecstatic” when help finally arrived.
“I was like crying and like so happy, and then they got me fruit and water, and yeah, they were so good to me, those guys,” he said.
Captain Eric Veloni reported that the crew found Sato approximately 900 miles from Hawaii’s coast. After bringing him safely aboard, the sailors welcomed him with care, fresh supplies, and a barbecue meal.
Following his extraordinary experience, Sato plans to spend time with a relative in Hawaii. His love of sailing remains strong: he hopes to continue to the Philippines aboard a larger vessel, accompanied by other passengers.
