Sailing from Oregon to Hawaii after quitting his job turns man with cat into social media star…

HONOLULU (AP) — While sailing across the Pacific with his cat named Phoenix, Oliver Widger reflected on why he believes his large following – over a million on TikTok and Instagram – are captivated by his story of leaving his 9-to-5 job and setting off on a journey from Oregon to Hawaii.

“The world is kind of tough and, you know, I don’t think I’m the only one who felt that way about my job,” Widger, 29, told The Associated Press during a Zoom interview on Wednesday. “You could be making $150,000 a year and still feel like you’re barely getting by, you know? People are tired of working hard for nothing and want a way out.”

Widger, who is part of a growing trend of individuals undertaking such voyages, revealed that being diagnosed with a syndrome that posed a risk of paralysis four years ago made him realize how much he despised his job as a tire company manager. The job required him to be clean-shaven and wear pressed shirts, which didn’t sit well with him. Upon learning about people who sailed from California to Hawaii, he decided that was the life he wanted.

He left his job suddenly with “no money, no plan,” and $10,000 in debt, with only one definite plan in mind: purchasing a sailboat and sailing around the world. Widger cashed out his retirement savings, learned to sail mostly through YouTube, and relocated from Portland to the Oregon coast, where he spent months renovating the $50,000 boat he acquired.

Now, Widger is utilizing social media to fund his dream of sailing around the world. Since setting sail in April, followers have been keeping up with his “Sailing with Phoenix” social media posts, watching videos of him and his feline companion confronting the sea’s challenges, enjoying beautiful sunsets, sharing stories of tricky boat repairs, and pondering life at sea.

During the AP interview, a netted bag filled with bottled water and snacks swung over his head as the boat swayed. Widger shared highlights of his journey so far, such as admiring the speed of dolphins in the water and discovering flying fish on the deck. There were periods when no birds were in sight for days, making it difficult to sleep with the boat creaking and being tossed by waves, or to keep a boiling pot steady for the MREs he subsists on.

There have been nerve-wracking moments, like when a rudder malfunctioned, causing the boat to lean sideways for three hours as he made repairs, and the time he accidentally locked himself in the engine compartment and had to pry his way out with a wrench. Despite his limited sailing experience, Widger has implemented safety precautions and communication backup plans, including a satellite phone and an emergency beacon.

While Lt. Cmdr. Jesse Harms of the U.S. Coast Guard in Hawaii hasn’t closely followed Widger’s journey, he’s relieved to know that Widger has an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB), a crucial tool for rescuers to locate a mariner’s position during emergencies, particularly in the vast Pacific Ocean.

Widger’s voyage serves as an opportunity to educate the public on sailing safety, emphasizing the importance of wearing a personal flotation device, monitoring weather conditions, and registering emergency tools like the EPIRB. Widger is ensuring that everything is in place to prevent Phoenix from undergoing Hawaii’s animal quarantine upon their arrival, with a mobile vet set to certify Phoenix’s health.

In addition to managing daily life on the boat, Widger is dealing with his unexpected online fame by creating social media content and deciding on merchandise that his fans are interested in purchasing. He attributes it all to his neck issue, which altered his perspective on life, and hopes to inspire those feeling stuck in a rut.

“Everything I’ve achieved seemed impossible,” Widger remarked. “Sailing around the world is such an outrageous dream. Whatever your dream is, just go for it, just do it.”