Shoestring voyage of adventure

Richard King and Serafin Colmenares Jr. look back at the remarkable Pacific voyage of Florentino Das in his 24ft home-built boat

Escaping the recent horrors of World War II, thousands of veterans and civilians in the 1950s sought respite and freedom out at sea in small boats. They include a stream of now famous single-handers such as Edward Allcard, Ann Davison, and Sir Francis Chichester. Over in the Pacific Ocean, a solo voyage by a DIY fisherman carpenter-mechanic was no less extraordinary, yet it is now barely remembered in sailing histories. This man's reasons were less about post-war escape and more about returning home and earning pride for his family and community.

Born in 1918, Florentino Resulta Das grew up on the island of Samar in the Philippines, the son of a man who ran a 60ft ferry. Florentino grew up learning from his father, helping him build boats, and marvelling at his ability to predict landfalls based on the wind and stars.

At 16, Das stowed away on an English freighter to Hawai'i. In the middle of the Great Depression, he found work where he could, including as a boxer. He married Gloria Lorita Espartino; together they raised eight children. Das worked as a fishing boat captain, carpenter, ceramicist, and at the Pearl Harbour shipyard. He repaired boats and cars.

Resolve

After some 20 years in Hawai'i, Das decided to return home. He couldn't afford a passage by ship or plane, so resolved to take a small boat with the hopes of, once home, establishing a fishing or ferry business to fund plane tickets for his family.