The First Solo Trans Pacific Voyage Exhibit at Maritime Museum Park, S.F.

We enjoyed a brunch at the Blue Mermaid, S.F.

After checking out of our hotel near the Fisherman's Wharf on Hyde and North Point, we had planned to have brunch with E. at Buena Vista.

Fried Eggs with Avocado Toasts

Not knowing that there were a few events happening at the waterfront, we found ourselves amid a crazily busy place. So we went across the street and have brunch at the Blue Mermaid.

Tuna Fish Tacos

We had some nice delicious food for the first time such as avocado toasts, and tuna fish tacos.

Waterfront near the Maritime Museum, San Francisco

After brunch, we strolled along the waterfront and enjoyed the warm afternoon sun a bit.

Waterfront of San Francisco - seen from the Aquatic Park

Maritime Museum, San Francisco

We visited the Maritime museum building.

This is another free admission attraction in San Francisco.

One of the many colourful wall murals in the Maritime Museum

We were awed by the colourful and beautiful wall murals covering all the wall in the museum building. 














It was like attending an art show by the sea!

















The murals were creative and uplifting!

















We also learned about the various art work created by sailors at sea.

A glass bottle covered by a sailor's fancywork

A sailor's survival at sea depends a lot of his ability to tie and use the correct knots at the right time and space.

This glass bottle illustrated the sailor's skill in using his fancywork - using common knots to create highly decorative items.

Sailors decorate any available surface with fancywork to display their fancywork skills and also as a practical cover to protect the fragile contents.

While enduring long days at sea, many sailor lovingly built models of their floating home such as this five- masted schooners.
















Besides the wall murals and sailors' arts, there were a few other interesting things to see at the Maritime Museum.

A timeline of Horie's 94 days solo voyage from Japan to San Francisco

One display we enjoyed learning was the exhibit on the Voyage of the Mermaid - the first solo successful transpacific voyage made in 1962.

Kenichi Horie made history in 1962 in his solo trans Pacific voyage 

We learned about Kenichi Horie who, at age 23, in 1962 sailed alone from Osaka, Japan to San Francisco on the Mermaid - a sloop yacht powered only by the wind.

News coverage of Horie's solo voltage and landing in San Francisco in 1962

He crossed 5,300 miles of ocean in 94 days.

He was the first person to complete a solo trans- Pacific voyage nonstop.

He arrived at San Francisco and was warmly received with the mayor presenting him the key to the city.

In his gratitude to San Francisco for the warm reception he received, Kenichi Horie donated his beloved Mermaid to the Maritime Museum.

Horie's deep love for his beloved yacht was evident from his accompanying letter to the residents of San Francisco.





















Horie's letter read like a poetic love letter. I was moved by his words.

We enjoyed our visit to the Maritime Museum learning about the first solo trans pacific crossing by a young man from Japan!


R.T.
Maritime Museum
San Francisco, USA
20181208
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