Kenichi Horie （JR3JJE）, an 83-year-old Japanese amateur radio enthusiast, set off from San Francisco, USA, on 26 March local time, crossing the Pacific Ocean alone in his Suntory Mermaid III. During the trip he used his amateur radio to communicate with other ham stations.

Kenichi Horie, whose goal is to become the oldest solo sailor to cross the Pacific Ocean, passed through Hawaii on 17 April, a week ahead of schedule and clearly in good shape and spirits.

On 31 March he sent the following message to his assistant using a satellite phone: "For the first time since I set out, I spotted a tanker on the sea this morning. The ship is heading east. Tomorrow, I am going to use the amateur radio".

On April 1st, radio amateurs across Japan tried to communicate with Horie, some using very large antennas. But they were unable to reach him due to poor transmission conditions. The next day, some people made the call successfully. 

Although Kenichi Horie carries a satellite phone, communicating with others via ham radio remains one of his favorite pastimes.