Joseph "Nappy" Napoleon can cross one more item off his "to-do" list of paddling accomplishments.

It is now a list that stretches across the chain of Hawaiian Islands.

Napoleon and five other paddlers paddled in one-person canoes across nine Hawaiian ocean channels this month. It was a journey that covered 230 miles over six days.

"Actually, my body felt good — I'm kind of surprised," Napoleon said. "It went better than I expected. I was whistling the whole time ... good fun."

The other five paddlers to complete the crossings were his son Aaron Napoleon, Manny Kulukulualani, Kea Pa'iaina, Terrance Quong and Cliff Tillotson.

The group was organized by Tillotson, and sponsored by the Prometheus Construction company.

"I was on the Big Island one day, at the birth site of King Kamehameha, and I looked out at the ocean and it came to me that somebody should try to cross these channels," he said. "And I remember how inspiring it was to read about Nappy doing his 50th Moloka'i Hoe, and so I figured I'd go to him first."

Napoleon, 67, is considered one of the greatest competitors in the history of canoe paddling. He is still an active paddler, and completed his 50th consecutive Moloka'i Hoe last year.

The journey started on the Big Island on July 9, and eventually ended off Ni'ihau on July 14. They paddled for six consecutive days, but only during daylight hours.

"In the old days, we would have slept on the beach, but for this one, we went to the hotels," Napoleon said. "So we got our rest."

Aaron Napoleon, Kulukulualani and Pa'iaina are among the state's best paddlers, so they formed one pack; Nappy Napoleon, Quong and Tillotson — "the older guys," Tillotson said — formed another pack.

"We would give them about an hour head start, then we would go and try to meet them somewhere in the middle," Kulukulualani said. "But it wasn't like a race. This was a group effort. We were all paddling at the same pace."

Some of the channels were short, like the 9-mile 'Alalakeiki Channel between Maui and Kaho'olawe. Others were grueling, like the 74-mile Ka'ie'iewawae Channel between O'ahu and Kaua'i.

By the fourth day — after paddling 31 miles from Moloka'i to O'ahu — the group considered taking a day off to rest for the 74-mile trek to Kaua'i.

Tillotson said he left the decision to Nappy Napoleon.

"No sense dilly-dally," Napoleon said. "We made it that far, we should keep going."

The leg from Kaena Point, O'ahu, to Nawiliwili, Kaua'i, was the most arduous. Aaron Napoleon, Kulukulualani and Pa'iaina crossed it in 12 hours; Nappy Napleon, Quong and Tillotson finished in 14 hours.

The first group saw a false killer whale along the way that was around 20 feet long; the second group saw a 10- to 12-foot tiger shark.

"We saw all kinds of stuff, actually," Kulukulualani said. "Dolphins, fish ... it was an experience."

Tillotson said Nappy Napoleon was still paddling strong at the end of the O'ahu-to-Kaua'i stretch.

"Me and (Quong) were dying for the last 20 miles," said Tillotson, 52. "And there was Nappy, whistling away."

For safety purposes, two fishing boats escorted the group across each channel. On the long days, the paddlers even stopped in mid-channel to eat and drink.

"We never got off our canoes, but we would just sit there in the middle of the ocean and eat; talk story," Kulukulualani said.

He said there were several moments of fatigue, but never any thoughts about quitting.

"We're all stubborn," Kulukulualani said. "Nobody wanted to be the one to give in, so we pushed each other."

In the end, the paddlers did not get paid for completing the journey, and there was minimal fanfare before and after.

"We just wanted to see if it could be done," Kulukulualani said. "It was a good challenge, and to do it with somebody like Nappy, that makes it worth it."

NOTES

Nappy and Aaron Napoleon paddle for 'Anuenue Canoe Club; Tillotson and Quong paddle for Ka Mamalahoe; Kulukulualani paddles for Hui Lanakila; Pa'iaina paddles for Healani.

The group did not actually land on the islands of Kaho'olawe and Ni'ihau, but they did approach the shoreline before turning away. "There's laws about setting foot on those islands," Tillotson said. "So we just got close enough to say we crossed those channels."

Gaylord Wilcox, a long-time teammate of Nappy Napoleon, started with the group, but had to pull out during the first leg due to a shoulder injury.