MISSION
Blind Sailor’s Solo Trans-Pacific Crossing Project 2027
Spring 2027
A completely blind sailor takes on a single-handed trans-Pacific crossing.
Departing from San Diego on the West Coast of the U.S.A. bound for Amakusa, Kumamoto, Japan.
ABOUT HIRO
— Hiro’s Choice —
Choices Shape the Future
I lost my eyesight at the age of sixteen.
Choosing trust over fear, and possibility over limitation, I became the first blind person to captain a sail boat non-stop across the Pacific Ocean.
In 2027, I will cross the Pacific again – this time, completely alone. Not to prove what l can do, but to explore what is possible.
Around the world, people will follow the voyage in real time – becoming my collective eyes. Not watching from a distance, but participating in the journey.
Mitsuhiro Iwamoto
PROJECT
— The Big Picture of the Project —
Setbacks, Challenges, and Now
From San Diego to Amakusa
This will be the world’s first attempt by a blind sailor to cross the Pacific Ocean solo and non-stop on a small 28-foot yacht. The setbacks along the way, a rescue, a renewed challenge, and a quiet wish to try it on my own. Why take on this challenge now?
Through stories, I share the background and purpose behind it.
Technology
— How This Challenge Is Made Possible —
Technology and the Power of Eyes Watching Over
Until now, a solo Pacific crossing by a blind sailor was considered impossible.
Today, constant Starlink connectivity, high-sensitivity cameras, voice-based navigation systems, including TIMEZERO Technology, that translate critical information into sound, and a shore-based support center monitoring the voyage are dissolving that assumption.
Together, these technologies make possible a new form of sailing.
Schedule
— The Vessel and Preparation Schedule —
The Vessel, and the Road to Departure Readiness
Hiro’s trusted partner is a Bristol Channel Cutter, a 28-foot yacht built for strength, balance, and long-distance passage-making.
Equipped with solar panels, hydro-generation, and advanced navigation systems, the vessel will be progressively refined for safety and sailing performance over more than two years beginning in 2025.
Here we share the roadmap-from preparation and training to final departure
-and the network of support that makes each step possible.
SUPPORT
— A Request for Your Support —
Your “eyes” help complete the voyage.
This journey is not about fame or records.
It is a challenge undertaken to share a message with the next generation:
Boundaries are not decided by others:
They are transcended by choice.
Your support becomes another guiding force for Hiro as he sails across the Pacific Ocean.