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SMALLEST MOTOR TO EVER CROSS THE ATLANTIC: 2.5HP TOHATSU BRINGS SEIKO NAKAJIMA SAFELY TO NEW YORK
May 1, 2011
On April 30, 1995, Seiko Nakajima, his 21ft boat and a 2.5hp Tohatsu outboard motor arrived at the historic South Street Seaport in New York City, concluding an eight-month voyage.
On September 10, 1994 powered solely by his 2.5hpTohatsu, he began his trip in Basel, Switzerland, and headed out to the Mediterranean Sea via French rivers and canals. On October 30, he reached Gibraltar; on November 16, the Canary Islands. On December 31, he completed his journey across the Atlantic to reach Barbados. On February 11, he reached Miami, his first stop in the United States. On April 30, he arrived in New York, completing his record-breaking adventure. During his eight-month journey, the Tohatsu 2.5 powered his boat approximately 21 hours a day.
During the 27 day open-ocean portion of his journey across the Atlantic, Seiko survived in an extraordinary manner. He ate only crushed nuts and seeds and drank one liter of water per day. The enclosed portion of his boat, in which he spent most of his journey, is barely high enough for Seiko to kneel in and just long enough for him to lie down. He slept only one hour at a time so that he could gauge his position and progress frequently. He did not bring any reading materials with him so that he could keep his mind focused on the trip.
The boat, which Seiko built, is 21' 4" long with a 5 ft beam and a 2 ft foot draft. It is made out of mahogany wood with epoxy and fiberglass and is completely enclosed. Building model boats has been a longtime hobby of Seiko's. His boat, the "Seiko da Gindelwald," is a full-size replica of a model that Seiko made. The bright yellow boat is the first full-size boat that Seiko has ever built.
Seiko, his boat, and his Tohatsu have proved to be a powerful team.
