Horie completes flipper-boat feat

WAKAYAMA (Kyodo) Japanese adventurer Kenichi Horie was set to complete an unprecedented Hawaii-Japan voyage in a boat propelled solely by the power of waves early Saturday.

Flipped in: Kenichi Horie waves aboard his wave-powered boat, the Suntory Mermaid II, as the vessel arrives Friday at the Kii Channel between Wakayama Prefecture's Kii Peninsula and Shikoku — near the final destination in his Hawaii-Hyogo Prefecture voyage. KYODO PHOTO

Horie, 69, who left Honolulu in March, entered the Kii Channel Friday afternoon — just within reach of his final destination between the capes of Hinomisaki, Wakayama Prefecture, and Kamodamisaki, Tokushima Prefecture.

His catamaran, the Suntory Mermaid II, is made of recycled aluminum and has a solar-powered battery for navigation lights and other devices.

The unique wings attached to the bow create thrust as wave currents cause them to oscillate up and down, a mechanism mimicking the movement of the fins and tails of aquatic mammals. He had planned to reach his goal in late May but weak waves and an opposing current delayed him.

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Horie completes flipper-boat feat

Japan Info Guide Links for living in Japan

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