California Man Stranded at Sea for a Month, Found Alive
A California man who set out on a solo sailing trip to Hawaii is safe after spending more than a month stranded at sea when his boat's mast snapped. He was found drifting far off course last week by a passing cargo ship.
Solo Sailing Trip Turns Into a Month-Long Ordeal
Kai Sato, 39, left California's Catalina Islands on June 7, attempting his first solo sail across the Pacific to Hawaii. About two weeks in, his mast snapped, leaving him stranded and unable to continue under sail power.
Sato tried to motor back toward shore, but ran out of fuel, and ocean currents began pulling him further off course and away from land. After several days grappling with the situation, he started making repairs using PVC pipe and kayak paddles, work that eventually let him limp back into the shipping lane between California and Hawaii.
A Grueling Month at Sea Tests His Survival Skills
The month that followed was brutal. Sato ran out of drinking water by July 11 and survived by collecting condensation in sealed bags of seawater. He lived mostly on oatmeal, along with fish and squid that landed in his boat.
By his own account, the isolation and dwindling supplies pushed him to a breaking point at one stage, and he described considering taking his own life before pulling back from that thought. He said he got through the ordeal by meditating, talking to the wind and water, and thinking of a late uncle he'd once sailed with as a boy.
Rescued by a Passing Cargo Ship
Sato was finally spotted last Tuesday by the crew of a Pasha Hawaii cargo ship, who lowered a rope ladder and brought him aboard. He was given a cabin, fresh clothes and food for the rest of the voyage.
Despite the ordeal, Sato says it hasn't soured him on sailing. He's already planning his next trip, aiming to sail to the Philippines in a larger boat.
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