Marin Kayaker Aborts Hawaiin Solo Voyage Amid Rough Waters

BY LISA HIX

SANTA CRUZ, CA —A Marin kayaker who was attempting to make a solo voyage to Hawaii early Sunday morning by the U.S. Coast Guard about 70 miles west of Santa Cruz, officials stated in a release

Cyril Derreumaux, a Bay Area adventurer and Guinness World Record holder, departed from Travis Marina near the Golden Gate Bridge in Sausalito around 5 a.m. May 31 with the goal of reaching Honolulu within 70 days.

Nearly a week later, at about 9:42 p.m. Saturday, Coast Guard Sector San Francisco watchstanders responded to Derreumaux's request for rescue because of heavy weather, officials said.

On his Facebook page, Derreumaux wrote that ocean conditions on Saturday evening were rough, but manageable; however, that all changed around 9 p.m. "when my ground crew told me that they had lost the AIS signal for 3 hours. I then [noticed] that my navigation system has lost the GPS signal and couldn't recover it."

As Derreumaux and his ground crew worked on the electronic issues, he became aware of trouble with his kayak.

"In a few moments my kayak was positioned almost parallel to the axis of the waves, and I found myself violently tossed from side to side, along with all the equipment that was stored in the cabin," he wrote.

"Attempts to get out to more accurately assess the condition of the sea anchor and to resolve the issue were unsuccessful and resulted in water entering my cabin." Derreumaux said he then had to make the difficult decision to request evacuation.

"As night had just fallen, it was clear that the situation was not sustainable: Inability to eat, drink, sleep, communicate easily with my team ashore," he wrote. "With my land support crew, we then reported the situation I was in to the U.S. Coast Guard to jointly explore all possible options."

The Coast Guard launched its MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew at 10:25 p.m., Coast Guard officials said. The crew arrived on scene at 12:39 a.m. Sunday, which is when they hoisted the kayaker into the helicopter and returned to Air Station San Francisco.

"Recognizing that the situation was beyond his capabilities and calling for assistance allowed our crews to reach him in time for a successful rescue," said Lt. Cmdr. Matthew Kroll, a Coast Guard spokesperson.

"This shows that even experienced mariners with proper safety equipment can get into trouble on the ocean, which is why having the right equipment and knowing when and how to use it is so important."

Derreumaux confirmed in his post that he is back on dry land but said his vessel remains unaccounted for.

“I am therefore now safe, on land,” he wrote, “and we are studying with my support team, on the one hand the solutions for recovering my kayak which is adrift, and on the other hand all the scenarios for the future.”

Derreumaux was found to be in good condition with no medical concerns, Coast Guard officials said.

"Morale is good, I still have my passion for this adventure intact, and I am still determined to make it happen," Derreumaux wrote. "I won't give up!!!"

Copyright © 2021 Bay City News, Inc. All rights reserved. Republication, rebroadcast or redistribution without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. Bay City News is a 24/7 news service covering the greater Bay Area.