85-Year-Old Man Crosses Atlantic Ocean…on a Homemade Raft
- Posted on April 7, 2011 at 2:11pm by
Jonathon M. Seidl
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The crew, including 85-year-old Smith, seconf from left.
PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten (The Blaze/AP) — An 85-year-old British sailor who dreamed of crossing the Atlantic on a raft as a young boy completed the journey with three friends Wednesday.
The crossing to this Caribbean island, led by Anthony Smith of London, took about two months and was generally smooth except for damage to two rudders on the large, sail-powered raft.
“Some people say it was mad,” he told The Associated Press when he arrived in St. Maarten. “But it wasn’t mad. What else do you do when you get on in years?”
The jovial crew said they wanted to raise awareness about the environment and to prove the elderly are capable of embarking on adventures that are mistakenly considered dangerous. They also aimed to raise money for the British nonprofit group WaterAid, which provides potable water to impoverished communities.
A stroke of bad luck paid for the trip, courtesy of Smith, who was hit by a van and broke his hip.
“I got some compensation money,” he said. “So what do you blow the compensation money on? You blow it on a raft.”
The crew departed from the Canary Islands after bad weather delayed their trip for about a month. Smith delivered a farewell speech – in nearly impeccable Spanish – to a crowd gathered on the dock and then waved goodbye. Here is his speech before the departure:
The raft was loaded with food including oranges, avocados, potatoes, cabbages and a pumpkin. Once the store-bought bread was consumed, sailing master David Hildred began making it from scratch in a small oven.
Hildred, a civil engineer who lives in the British Virgin Islands, also was summoned to help fix the rudders that broke three days into the trip.
The raft was built with four water supply pipes nearly 40 feet (12 meters) long, and 14 cross pipes. Seven pipes held the crew’s fresh water supply. The raft also had a nearly 40-foot (12-meter) long mast and a 400-square-foot (37-square-meter) sail. Twin rudders provided the steering, along with centerboards and two oars.
It traveled at an average speed of 4 knots, with the crew taking turns to keep watch when they were not reading or playing cards.
“I think all of us enjoyed our night watches when it was just oneself for company,” Smith said. “Not an awful lot to see, but it was great.”
A whale played alongside the raft one day, and a school of mahi-mahi followed the raft almost the entire journey, said crew member John Russell, 61, of Britain.
“The wildlife was just fantastic,” he said. “There is nothing to be scared of. We were all old men.”
Halfway across the Atlantic, Smith celebrated his 85th birthday with a chocolate cake that his doctor, Andrew Bainbridge, cooked on board.
The crew intended to end their trip in the Bahamas, but strong winds and currents forced them to the Dutch Caribbean island of St. Maarten.
“Yes, of course it’s a success,” Smith said with a smile. “How many people do you know who have rafted across the Atlantic? … The word mutiny was only spoken about two or three times a day.”
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woodyenglish
Posted on April 9, 2011 at 11:36amWe’re only as pretty as we feel !!
Report Post »Carpe Diem fellas !
American_Woman
Posted on April 8, 2011 at 10:31pmOh how wonderful! I’m a single-handed sailor who’s about to become unemployed, so my sailboat is in storage right now. Anybody want to go off on an adventure like this, let me know. I wonder what they’ll do with their raft now????
Report Post »Whyismynamealwaystaken
Posted on April 8, 2011 at 9:43pmMutiny, what a funny word… Mu tiny m utiny mut iny mtniuy
Report Post »TheGreyPiper
Posted on April 8, 2011 at 12:18pmTR0LL ALeRT!
Report Post »tiredofprogressives
Posted on April 8, 2011 at 3:43amAnother IDIOT who puts peoples lives in danger if he runs into trouble in the ocean. Start making these morons pay for the helicopter and coast guard for the cost.
Report Post »popeyebedford
Posted on April 8, 2011 at 7:40amIt is none of your buisness what he does, so butt out…
Report Post »Rumsfeld
Posted on April 7, 2011 at 11:41pmAwsome!! I’m jelous!!
Report Post »Dumbsht
Posted on April 7, 2011 at 8:36pmSee those multi million dollar boats in the back ground…..Bet they never went nearly that far.
Report Post »Pyx
Posted on April 7, 2011 at 6:42pmI knew I had seen those “hull” eyes before ! LOL
I suspect the idea for his “raft” might have come from the YouTube video;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPog14El4H0
I believe that anyone can make a sailing “raft” for a small amount of money, if they are inclined. Having the brass b@ll$ to sail it across the Atlantic ocean is another matter entirely.
Report Post »TheWatcher
Posted on April 7, 2011 at 5:43pmMen like this is what built America from the wilderness.
Report Post »============
Buck
http://www.***************
Heirloom Seeds, “How God grows His Garden.”
mrsmileyface
Posted on April 7, 2011 at 5:37pmThe last of the truely great adventurers. God bless him.
Report Post »IMaTELLaU
Posted on April 7, 2011 at 4:37pmGUTS. Congrats, sailor.
Report Post »keaton
Posted on April 7, 2011 at 4:15pmmanly man!
Report Post »RightPolitically
Posted on April 7, 2011 at 4:11pmWhat a great story!
Report Post »HOCKEYHAWK216
Posted on April 7, 2011 at 3:47pmOld MEN and the sea . . . where was the fish?
Report Post »abseas
Posted on April 7, 2011 at 3:24pmI once owned a nice sailboat for about 15 years. Always wanted to travel the open seas, but my wife was petrified to go beyong sight of the coast line. So, that didn’t work out so well. Had a blast in the rivers and up and down the coast. I probably would’ve jumped at the chance for a trip like this. Way to go fellas!
Report Post »Dumbsht
Posted on April 7, 2011 at 8:38pmToo late buddy you had your chance and made a different choice. Tsk Tsk.
Report Post »ZaphodsPlanet
Posted on April 7, 2011 at 3:18pmAwesome, this is what can happen when you choose to live. You’re dead when you decide to be. Older doesn’t always mean old. Have known people my age and younger that were older than this guy. Happy sailing.
Report Post »OUTRIDER WRITER
Posted on April 7, 2011 at 2:41pmStory made my day.
Report Post »Slowman101
Posted on April 7, 2011 at 2:33pmWow. Awesome! That was a good story! I’d love to have the chance to do something like that!
Report Post »handsoffmystuff
Posted on April 7, 2011 at 2:27pmDon’t impoverished communities already have access to water? Isn’t it called Rain?
Report Post »BetterDays
Posted on April 7, 2011 at 2:26pmReally, I thought this would have been a story on a refugee fleeing a socialist nation, and in a way it was.
Report Post »If we don’t get our nation in order we will soon be making rafts ourselves.
IF ( gets more difficult daily) at all Possiable be at peace with all mankind. Be quick to forgive.
just happy
Posted on April 7, 2011 at 2:20pmCongratulations.
Report Post »TheGreyPiper
Posted on April 7, 2011 at 2:20pmNot to diminish the feat or anything, but that kinda pushes the definition of “raft.” That thing looks sturdier than the Mayflower.
Report Post »LSBeene
Posted on April 7, 2011 at 2:36pmThat’s what I was thinking too : “Raft”??
But, it does end the ages old debate about if anyone “other than Columbus could have possibly crossed the ocean, without sophisticated gear” – clearly the answer is yes.
Report Post »StuntDrivin4U
Posted on April 7, 2011 at 2:20pmOne heck of an accomplishment. Make boat….. Then sail the ocean. Good job man, good job.
Report Post »Showtime
Posted on April 7, 2011 at 2:51pmYou got it! One “fine damned raft!”
Report Post »J.C. McGlynn
Posted on April 7, 2011 at 2:15pmSome say crazy…Some say adventurous.
Report Post »Bigliardi
Posted on April 7, 2011 at 2:20pmTakes lots of courage to do that….My hat is off to this old gentleman and his three companions…
Report Post »grandmaof5
Posted on April 7, 2011 at 2:24pmBully for them!!! How many of us can say we have actually lived a childhood dream? God bless.
Report Post »right-wing-waco
Posted on April 7, 2011 at 2:45pmGood for them, might be the last adventure for them. I hope they continue to have many more adventures in the future.
Report Post »Showtime
Posted on April 7, 2011 at 2:50pmOh, I am so envious! His “raft” was larger than our sailboat! We were 36′ in length, 12′ wide, and 48′ high, drawing 4′ with a fixed keel.
He didn’t say what powered his “small oven,” but we had an 80 hp Ford Lehman diesel engine, two 40-gallon fresh water tanks, and a 100-gallon fuel tank. A generator ran off the engine, and we had hot and cold running water, a shower, refrigerator with automatic icemaker, and a gas stove. We could run a 1,500-watt ceramic heater with the engine running. Oh, I miss those days.
I took a shower one time on the boat — felt too much like I was going to sink it, but the scuppers drained above the waterline. Otherwise, I dived off the anchor platform with a bar of Ivory soap (it floats) and a washcloth, bathed, and climbed aboard from the swim platform on the aft end and dried off.
I‘m surprised he didn’t have more problems than he did, but we had more stuff to have problems WITH than he did! He’s amazing!
Report Post »Anti_Spock
Posted on April 7, 2011 at 2:50pmCourage? No. This is a man who believes in the human spirit of adventure. What a great example of FREEDOM.
Report Post »Czar Casm
Posted on April 7, 2011 at 3:17pm“The jovial crew said they wanted to raise awareness about the environment….”
What enviroment? There’s an enviroment? I wasn’t aware! Well I’ll be!
Report Post »RightWrite
Posted on April 7, 2011 at 3:19pmSign me up! I’d go in a New-York-minute!
Report Post »Cemoto78
Posted on April 7, 2011 at 3:41pmI’d love to do the same thing, what a time. Good for him and his friends.
Report Post »Anonymous T. Irrelevant
Posted on April 7, 2011 at 3:53pmWhen it said raft,I was thinking this tiny little boat. Heck, that thing’s bigger than most river boats.
Report Post »It is good to be able to follow your dreams and be with mates.
thegrassroots
Posted on April 7, 2011 at 4:10pmO WOW! I Love It! Way To Live, Guys!
Report Post »avenger
Posted on April 7, 2011 at 6:36pmhe left out the best part…about the 2 under 30 babes that were with him…
Report Post »VegasGuy
Posted on April 7, 2011 at 7:22pmThe wife and I lived aboard our 37′ sailboat for 10 years. I can identify with this man’s quest for a journey. I love the fact he built a raft just as he had envisioned as a child. Cool story.
Report Post »banjarmon
Posted on April 7, 2011 at 10:54pmMark another one off their Bucket List…. You GO guys!!!
Report Post »BidBerthaDotCom
Posted on April 7, 2011 at 11:40pmAn-Tiki, clever name. I hope, should I ever reach his age, that I have the adventurous spirit that he does. Well done.
Report Post »thepatriotdave
Posted on April 8, 2011 at 12:53am“Not an awful lot to see, but it was great.”
———————————————————–
This guy could easily take Obama’s place and we would be much better off. At least he seems to have an inkling of an idea of what ‘common sense’ is.
Freedom Jamboree – Press Release – This is gonna be HUGE!
Report Post »http://www.AmericasTeaPartyNews.com
copper
Posted on April 8, 2011 at 2:38amGood thing they didn’t run into a 90 ft rogue wave.
Report Post »MIBUGNU2
Posted on April 8, 2011 at 11:28amYou Guys Rock !!!!!!!! God Bless You, Looks like He
Report Post »already Has … Great story, Tks. Blaze !
Old Yahoo Right Winger
GringoBob
Posted on April 9, 2011 at 7:43pmBravo
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