HONOLULU — A man is trying to become the second person to kayak alone from California to Hawaii.
Cyril Derreumaux, 44, will attempt to become the first person since 1987 to pull off the feat, Hawaii News Now reported Wednesday.
“I’m an avid paddler, outrigger paddler, kayaker and surfski paddler,” Derreumaux said. “I love the water.”
Derreumaux is hoping to complete the roughly 2,400-mile journey in 70 days.
His kayak is equipped with solar panels to power a satellite phone, GPS and other gear and there is a cabin for sleeping.
Derreumaux had planned to complete the trip last year, but the coronavirus pandemic delayed delivery of his 23-foot long, 400-pound kayak that was custom built in Britain. When he finally received the kayak, he began to practice.
“I took three days at a time, sleeping in the kayak, and using all the equipment,” Derreumaux said.
Derreumaux in 2016 was a member of a four-person team that rowed across the Pacific and set a Guinness World Record. The 44-year-old owns a company that sells high-performance paddling gear.
Derreumaux will pack about 200 pounds of food for the trip. A device to desalinate water will provide him with drinking water and a land-based support team will help with navigation and other information.
He will start the journey May 30 from San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge.