Bart and Dagmar and Soleil returned today from Kauai to Maui, where he has been catching up on his sleep for a few days, looks relaxed and happy..
Quite a few of his friends surprised him at baggage claim!!
Aloha,
Andrea
photo & text credits Jimmie Hepp and Shawneen Shweitzer
Update from Maui News:A Maui man believes he's set a record as the first person to make a solo crossing from the Big Island to Kauai on a stand-up paddleboard.
Bart de Zwart ended his 300-mile journey Sunday night, paddling into Kauai's Kalapaki Beach a few minutes before sunset. A day later, as he relaxed and recovered from the event, he said he felt surprisingly good physically, but reflected that the effort and concentration that went in to surviving alone at sea for five days and nights had been harder than he expected.
"I have to say, I think this is the hardest thing I've ever done in my life," he said Monday. "Just being with the elements for 24 hours for five days - being wet for so many days."
De Zwart, 41, lives in Haiku and owns the Kanaha Kai Maui surf shop. In addition to other ocean sports, he is an experienced sailor who has sailed around the world.
De Zwart said he was inspired to plan the journey by learning about ancient Hawaiian voyagers, who paddled and sailed canoes from island to island and even across the Pacific.
"I also like to do something really hard and challenging," he said. "You appreciate people and life and food and the things around you a lot more."
He began preparing for the trip about six months ago, gathering the gear and safety equipment he would need and modifying a standard paddleboard with changes including a front rudder that would allow him to paddle through strong winds without having to strain himself by paddling only on one side.
After weeks of unusually windy conditions, de Zwart took advantage of a calm period and departed from the Big Island on June 21, launching at 8:30 p.m. in the hope that he could avoid strong daytime winds as he crossed the difficult Alenuihaha Channel.
"It worked, but at night it's also a lot harder, with the cross-chop," he said. "That was one of the harder parts of the trip."
Being unable to see the big swells as he paddled over them through the night also exacerbated a bout of seasickness, he said, which lasted around 24 to 36 hours.
By the next day, he was able to rest and eat as he passed Hana and cruised along Maui's north shore.
De Zwart said he made the decision to navigate to the north of the island chain, hoping that if he got into trouble the winds and ocean currents would blow him toward land - instead of out to sea.
Without a support boat, de Zwart had to be completely self-sufficient.
He packed about 120 pounds of water, food and gear on his board, eating freeze-dried meals he prepared in a special "oven" that used a chemical reaction to create heat. During the day, he snacked on granola bars, nuts, dried fruit, chocolate and sports drinks.
At night he raised navigation lights to avoid collisions with larger boats, then inflated a makeshift bed he had formed by gluing together several inflatable pool mattresses.
They made a comfortable bed, and de Zwart fastened some along the sides to form a "cradle," but he still had a hard time staying dry.
"When it's really rough and the waves start rolling in, then they sometimes pull you over," he said.
Off the coast of Molokai on his second night, de Zwart was washed overboard four times.
He took to sleeping in his wetsuit, and, for safety, he used at least two leashes at all times to keep himself fastened to his board and gear.
