Glacier Bay catamarans and Honda outboards, together, have just set another offshore world record. This time, they completed a record-breaking run of 1,328 miles to Midway Island in the Pacific.

The trek was made by two Honda-powered, Glacier Bay 26' trailerable sportfishing catamarans. The boats ran unassisted from Honolulu to Midway in seas as high as 10' and winds up to 30 mph. The trip was a dream of Glacier Bay founder Larry Graf, to explore and fish the six extremely remote islands and atolls northwest of the main Hawaiian Islands. All are part of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife preserve.

Much like Glacier Bay and Honda's earlier record run from the U.S. to Bermuda, a record that remains unbroken, this run from Hawaii to Midway Island was a feat no other outboard boat had previously accomplished. The two boats, one a 26' Canyon Runner and the other a 26' Coastal Runner, were both powered by twin 130 hp Honda 4-stroke outboards, known for their efficiency and quietness. These two boats were standard production boats, except for the expedition fuel tanks aboard for the trip.

The two 26' Glacier Bay catamarans were pre-rigged at the factory in Monroe, Washington, with an extensive array of electronics and safety gear. Then they were shipped to Windward Boats in Kailua, Hawaii, on Oahu. They were met on August 26 by a world class team of skippers including Dean Travis Clarke of Sport Fishing magazine, Jim Barron of Trailer Boats magazine, Rob Shallenberger of U.S. Fish and Wildlife, Joe Adams of Windward Boats and Larry Graf of Glacier Bay. The team made its final trip preparations - props, food, chart cards, electronic training and boat adjustments - just in time for a Friday, August 28, departure. They arrived at Midway 70 running hours later on Saturday, September 5.

The first leg was 110 miles to Kauai, with the channel between Oahu and Kauai kicking up mixed seas of 6-10' from several directions and 20-25 mph winds. The next run was 400 miles to Tern Island, which is a wildlife refuge with several biologists studying birds, seals and turtles. At Tern, the boats were refueled for the long run north to Pearl and Hermes reef, 600 miles northwest. Along the way, the boats stopped at three of the smaller islands for photos and some out -of-this -world fishing outside the 10-fathom line. Nights were spent running at trolling speeds with one captain on watch, while others slept on deck. Days were spent running at 22-25 knots in 4-6' seas.

Each boat and engine combination weighed about 6,900 lbs. and was loaded with an additional 4,500 lbs. of fuel, people and gear. Propellers used were Turbo Flats models from Performance Marine.

Trip sponsors included Furuno Electronics, Teleflex/Seatrec Autopilots, Shimano rods and reels, Doel Fin engine fins, U.S. Fish and Wildlife, Puget Sound Instruments, Flo Scan, Weather Ocean Marine weather routing, Stearns life vests, Honda Marine, Midway Sportfishing, West Marine and Windward Boats, Hawaii.