Frenchman crosses Atlantic Ocean in a barrel

[Stevicus]

This 72-Year-Old Frenchman Just Crossed the Atlantic Ocean in a Giant Orange Barrel

His barrel was made of resin-coated plywood, built by two French barrel makers. The measurements worked out to 10 feet long and 6.8 feet across. Savin hoped his new home would prove sturdy enough to handle orca attacks.

The Frenchman got an assist from JCOMMOPS, an international marine observatory, which provided him with markers to drop off at various parts of the sea to help study ocean currents.

Though his voyage lasted 128 days, it was mostly unremarkable. He posted updates on Facebook and told a French news site near the end of his journey that he had had just eight difficult nights in total, including a rough sea that forced him to leave the barrel and navigate difficult waters from outside his cozy confines. He also rarely encountered other humans.

Well, good for him.

I once made it across a swimming pool in an innertube.

 

[Altfish]

Doesn't look like any barrel I'd seen before, more like a boat.

 

[Stevicus]

Doesn't look like any barrel I'd seen before, more like a boat.

It's shaped like a barrel, although it's obviously no ordinary barrel.

 

[sun rise]

That was certainly much more than the simple barrel I had in mind when I saw the headline.

 

[Revoltingest]

This is the greatest scientific achievement in France's history!

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

Cool, but talk about a bait and switch.

 

[Brickjectivity]

Nice Barrel!

 

[FragrantGrace]

Here I am thinking barrel, like an actual barrel. "Frenchman crosses Atlantic ocean in a barrel. Bruised, very very bruised!"
It looks more like a copy of a submersible that isn't outfitted to be one yet. Just the shell and some accouterments inside.

 

[PureX]

The interesting part is that he apparently did nothing to motivate the barrel. He just stayed inside it while it floated from one shore to the other.

People are always rowing barrel-shaped boats across; some making it and some not. And of course people sail across. But I like the simplicity of just doing nothing, and floating across.

By the way, when these efforts fail, it's usually because they get run over by a ship. It's a big ocean, but if you get into the shipping lanes (and they tend to follow the transatlantic currents) you can still get run over. And the ship may very well never know you were there.

 

[Twilight Hue]

This 72-Year-Old Frenchman Just Crossed the Atlantic Ocean in a Giant Orange Barrel

Well, good for him.

I once made it across a swimming pool in an innertube.

Oh man. I don't know why, but this thread just made my day today. *Grin*

 

[Twilight Hue]

The interesting part is that he apparently did nothing to motivate the barrel. He just stayed inside it while it floated from one shore to the other.

People are always rowing barrel-shaped boats across; some making it and some not. And of course people sail across. But I like the simplicity of just doing nothing, and floating across.

By the way, when these efforts fail, it's usually because they get run over by a ship. It's a big ocean, but if you get into the shipping lanes (and they tend to follow the transatlantic currents) you can still get run over. And the ship may very well never know you were there.

It make me wonder instead of life boats, that ships can't just deploy life barrels in event of an emergency.

 

[Shad]

It make me wonder instead of life boats, that ships can't just deploy life barrels in event of an emergency.

A lot of modern life boats are close to the design in the OP with the enclosed cabin. TEMPSC have become standard for a lot of vessels.

 

[PureX]

It make me wonder instead of life boats, that ships can't just deploy life barrels in event of an emergency.

That's pretty much what they are, now days.