In this photo taken Saturday, Frenchman Jean-Jacques Savin stands atop his barrel as it is lowered into the sea at El Hierro in Spain's Canary Islands. Photo: AP
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Frenchman Jean-Jacques Savin is trying to cross the Atlantic Ocean in a barrel. He brought wine and foie gras
- 71-year-old Jean-Jacques Savin set off on Wednesday from Spain’s Canary Islands for a months-long trip he hopes will take him all the way to the Caribbean
- His orange barrel is propelled only by the winds and ocean’s currents
Jean-Jacques Savin in a selfie posted on Thursday from inside his barrel. Photo: Facebook / Jean-Jacques Savin
When Jean-Jacques Savin celebrates his 72nd birthday in January, he’ll probably be all alone inside an orange barrel somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean.
But don’t worry: He has a special bottle of wine for the occasion.
Savin took off from El Hierro in Spain’s Canary Islands on Wednesday for a months-long trip he hopes will take him all the way to the Caribbean, propelled only by the winds and ocean currents.
“For the time being, my capsule is behaving very, very well and I’ve got favourable winds forecast until Sunday,” he told Agence France-Presse by phone after departing.
The orange vessel is made from resin-coated plywood and is designed to protect him not only from the elements, but also from possible attacks by orca whales.
It has about 65 square feet of living space – enough room to sleep, cook and store Savin’s goods, which include wine, foie gras and plenty of garlic. It also includes a small window from which he can watch the fish below him.
Savin, a former paratrooper and park ranger, is documenting his trip on Facebook. On Thursday, he posted a selfie from inside the barrel, assuring his followers that “everything is going well today.”
Savin’s Facebook page describes him as a “seasoned sportsman and adventurer in spirit”.
On a crowdfunding site he is using to raise money for the trip, he said he has already crossed the Atlantic four times on a sailboat and is seeking to determine what the journey looks like without human assistance.
Savin will drop markers throughout the trip to assist an international marine observatory in its research on ocean currents. Solar power will allow him to stay connected and track his movements with a GPS.
This file photo taken on November 15 shows Jean-Jacques Savin, a former paratrooper, testing his barrel at a shipyard in Ares, southwestern France. Photo: AFP
He told AFP that he doesn’t know where he hopes to land at the end of the trip. “Maybe Barbados,” he said. “Although I’d really like it to be a French island like Martinique or Guadeloupe. That would be easier for the paperwork and for bringing the barrel back.”
It will be easy to follow along and see where he ends up: a website is tracking his movements throughout the three-month journey.