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Kelsey Pfendler Rows Solo from California to Hawaii in Under 44 Days
Kelsey Pfendler arrived in Honolulu harbor Friday night after rowing more than 2,400 miles alone. She finished the trip in just under 44 days, faster than prior records for both women and men.
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Kelsey Pfendler arrived in Honolulu harbor Friday night on her 21-foot rowboat Lily after nearly a month and a half at sea. She launched from Monterey, California, in May 2026 and completed the more than 2,400-mile solo crossing on July 3. Hundreds of people gathered to cheer her arrival, local media reported.
Hundreds of thousands followed her progress on social media. Pfendler finished the journey in just under 44 days, according to records maintained by Ocean Rowing Society International. The previous women's record stood at 86 days and the men's at 52 days.
The society, which adjudicates ocean-rowing achievements for Guinness World Records, did not immediately respond to Associated Press requests for comment. Pfendler set out to become the first American woman, youngest woman and fastest woman to complete the crossing solo, her website stated.
She has worked as a professional raft guide since age 18 and has led trips on the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon for the past eight years.
