Frenchman Attempts To Cross The Atlantic In A Barrel

Jean-Jacques Savin, 71, says he has sailed across the Atlantic four times. Now, he is attempting to cross in a barrel using only ocean currents for propulsion.

By Soundings Editors

January 2, 2019

A Frenchman is taking a different tack on the barrel concept.

Instead of using a barrel to age wine, Jean-Jacques Savin, 71, has constructed a special 10-foot long barrel to carry him across the Atlantic Ocean. He will only rely on ocean currents to get him to the other side. He departed from the Canary Islands on December 26, 2018 and hopes to arrive somewhere in the Caribbean in approximately three months.

He brought along a block of foie gras and a bottle of white wine to celebrate New Year’s Eve at sea. Some of the funding for his attempt came from French barrel makers.

You can read more about it in this BBC report.