I saw this news last night on TV but until I got a message from Atsuko Furue suggesting that I post about it here, I didn’t realize that Mr. Iwamoto is from Kumamoto. (Thanks Atsuko!)
If you’d like to read a longer article about the project, which was assisted by businessman/philanthropist Doug Smith, I would suggest “Five years after whale scuttled first attempt, blind sailor aims for nonstop Pacific crossing” in the San Diego Union Tribune:
https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/communities/san-diego/sd-me-ocean-voyage-20190221-story.html
Or, you can go to the source and check out their Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/Voyage-of-Inspiration-2185655038131156/
– Kirk
