Man sets standup paddleboat record from San Francisco to Hawai’i

HONOLULU (AP/Log News Service)—Antonio de la Rosa doesn’t take it easy on his vacations. The Spaniard arrived at the Waikiki Yacht Club on Aug. 24 after spending his summer paddling across the Pacific Ocean from San Francisco. It took de la Rosa, who is from Valladolid, Spain, 76 days to cover the 2,500 miles of open ocean alone, using wind, currents and the power of his arms to paddle while standing on a platform amidships the submarine-shaped craft he describes as a paddleboat. The custom built 24-foot vessel, which he named Ocean Defender, endured rough weather, including when Hurricane Flossie passed within 60 miles. The vessel, which he describes as a combination paddle board and small boat, has a sleeping cabin forward and another cabin aft with storage bins, desalination unit and solar panels for powering electronics including a computer, phone and satellite internet. He ate dehydrated food, using heated water, and sometimes fished. He paddled eight-to-10 hours daily and slept every night. But he said that he was always tired because he woke up hourly to check on his gear. It’s the kind of adventure he loves. “I like it because it’s hard,” he said in Spanish Aug. 26 from Honolulu. According to his website...