“I believe there would be more space in a space rocket”, says Andrew Bedwell about the boat he has just built. The Big C, specify the Daily Mail, does not exceed one meter in length and yet its designer intends to make it cross the more than 3,000 kilometers which separate the Canadian province of Newfoundland from the English coast of Cornwall.
The 48-year-old father hopes to break a record dating back to 1993: crossing the Atlantic aboard the smallest ship possible.
“Andrew, from Scarisbrick, Lancashire, ships yachts around the world and works as a sailmaker. He has spent most of his life embarked on nautical adventures”, writes the British tabloid. What motivated him to take up this new challenge was reading the memoirs of the American Hugo Vihlen, holder of the 1993 record:
“I always like to have a real challenge going – even if my wife thinks I’m crazy – but I wanted to do something big before I turned 50.”
protein substance
After three years of preparation, the walnut shell is ready, the sea bass has just put it in the water to test it. However, the big departure is only planned for the summer of 2023. Time to prepare for the hell that awaits him during the long crossing, between two and three months.
Stuck in the tiny cabin, he describes in the newspaper: “It’s like being stuck in a garbage bin on a roller coaster for ninety days – this is what it’s going to be like if things go wrong.” Bedwell nevertheless wants to be reassuring: if it were to capsize, a case provided for in the ship’s plans, an airtight porthole would protect it from the water. “When it’s closed, I have air for forty minutes.”
Luxurious cruising conditions that are reflected in the gastronomic menus envisaged. “During the trip, Andrew will eat a cold protein substance, which will be contained [dans des sachets individuels] stored between it and the cabin walls to save space”, continues the daily. The layout of space is crucial to be able to fit the few safety equipment, in addition to its compass. “It’s going to be completely horrible but it’s just to be able to fuel, s’amuse Bedwell. There will be no sophistication there – but maybe my daughter will put a candy here and there.” On the other hand, no food-wine agreement in sight: he will be content with desalinated water during the crossing.