Former French military paratrooper, Jean-Jacques Savin has set off from the Canary Islands in an attempt to cross the Atlantic Ocean in a barrel.
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Former French military paratrooper Jean-Jacques Savin has set off from the Canary Islands in an attempt to cross the Atlantic Ocean in a barrel.
He has previously sailed the journey four times but hopes to make this crossing "not as a captain of a boat, but as a passenger of the ocean".
Savin crowdfunded €10,000 of his €60,000 budget for the epic voyage, which will take him 2,800 miles around the world.
He will live in a specially-designed barrel during his three-month journey to the Caribbean. The capsule is three metres long and 2.10m wide and contains a kitchen, sleeping bunk and storage.
The barrel will be driven by water currents alone and is designed to resist waves and potential attacks by orca whales.
Savin will drop markers along his journey to help scientists study ocean currents.
The voyage is being recorded on his Facebook page where Mr Savin posts regular updates to over 10,000 fans.
On Thursday he wrote: “Good morning to everyone! Today everything is fine. Position with GPS Coordinates: L 27.54615,- 18.23749.”
He has reportedly taken with him a bottle of red wine to celebrate his 72nd birthday in January, as well as foie gras and a bottle of Sauternes white wine for New Year's Eve.
His journey can be tracked here.