An Oregon man who quit his job to set sail with his cat arrives to
cheering fans in Hawaii
[May 27, 2025]
HONOLULU (AP) — An Oregon man who quit his job at a tire company
and liquidated his retirement savings to set sail for Hawaii with his
cat, Phoenix, reached his destination Saturday, welcomed by cheering
fans at the end of a weekslong journey that he documented for his mass
of followers on social media.
Oliver Widger, who also was greeted by Hawaii Gov. Josh Green at the
Waikiki Yacht Club on Oahu, acknowledged he was nervous facing the
crowd, which included reporters. Widger said he was feeling “really
weird” — not seasick, but, “I just feel like I have to, like, hold on to
things to not fall over.”
He became an online sensation with his story, which followed a diagnosis
four years ago with a syndrome that carried a risk of paralysis and made
him realize he disliked his managerial job. He quit his job with “no
money, no plan” and $10,000 of debt — and the goal of buying a sailboat
and sailing around the world.
He taught himself to sail mostly via YouTube and moved from Portland to
the Oregon coast. He spent months refitting the $50,000 boat he bought.
He set sail for Hawaii with Phoenix in late April, documenting their
experiences for his more than 1 million followers on TikTok and 1.7
million followers on Instagram. He said he thinks his story, which made
national news, resonated with people.
“I think a lot of people are, you know, you’re grinding at your job all
day long and it doesn’t really matter how much money you make at this
point, everybody’s just trying to do enough to get by and that just
wears you out,” he said. “It’s just the world's in a weird place, and I
think people have seen that it’s possible to break out.”
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In this photo provided by Oliver Widger via his Instagram account on
Thursday, May 15, 2025, his cat, Phoenix, sits inside their sailboat
somewhere in the Pacific Ocean as both make their way from Oregon to
Hawaii. (Oliver Widger via AP)
 Green presented Widger with a
proclamation. Fans swarmed Widger after the news conference, many
holding cameras and seeking selfies.
The scariest point of the trip came when a rudder failed, Widger
said. Highlights included seeing dolphins and whales and periods of
calm Pacific waters. “Being in the middle of the ocean when it was
completely glass in every direction was an absurd feeling,” he said.
Widger, 29, said he never truly felt alone, since he was
communicating with friends by means including video conference. But
he also lamented not experiencing the open waters in a way that
other sailors — who didn't have access to tools like Starlink
internet satellites — have in years before.
He said he may travel next to French Polynesia. But he said he had
been focused on getting to Hawaii and not on what he'd do after
that. He said he also needs to make repairs to his boat.
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