Attempt to Cross Atlantic in Smallest Boat Fails

After launching from Newfoundland in his 3-foot-long boat, Andrew Bedwell was forced to turn back when the Big C began taking on water.

By Lidia Goldberg

May 30, 2023

The ambitious journey of Andrew Bedwell, a British father, to sail across the Atlantic from Canada to Cornwall in the smallest boat on record came to an end after his vessel filled with water and he was forced to return to port.

Bedwell’s hand-built ship, Big C, was just 3-feet long. The professional sailmaker and longtime mariner had hoped to cross the Atlantic in the smallest boat ever. After launching in Canada, Big C soon began taking on water. Bedwell returned to the harbor but when the craft was lifted from the water her framework was damaged and, according to Bedwell, the weight of the water inside her hull “destroyed” the vessel.

Bedwell had spent over three years building Big C and intended to raise money for cancer charities. The heartbroken sailor reported the disastrous outcome of his attempt and his inability to repair Big C on his Facebook page. Fans and supporters tried to cheer him up after he announced that he would not be able to reattempt the journey.

“’If it were easy everyone would do it,” one supporter wrote on his Facebook page. “Get some rest, maybe go away for a couple of days and regroup. You didn’t promise anything to anyone but yourself. Carry On.”