See you next Monday to select your favorite stories and create the second and penultimate chapter of Atanahoué's amazing adventure!
Story of the day : Alain Bombard, the voluntary castaway
On October 20, 1952, Alain Bombard, a doctor in human biology, undertook a solo crossing of the Atlantic in a 4.65-meter-long rubber dinghy: the Heretic.
For 113 days, Alain Bombard will embark on an incredible adventure to corroborate his theories on the experience of being shipwrecked at sea.
It is thus aboard a survival boat, without water nor food, and for only equipment a sextant and fishing material, that he embarks in 1952. This project was intended to validate two of his theories.
The first one considers that a shipwrecked person can survive in extreme conditions at sea only by means of an unfailing will, by resorting to the resources provided by fishing. The second one aims at proving that the human organism is able to assimilate sea water.
The success of this company will open the way to generations of sailors by democratizing the installation of dinghies on board boats and will even allow the design of the "Bombard" range of tires that we know today.
"The day of the 21st ended with the appearance in my wake of a fish about one and a half meters long, which had a pointed beak, equipped with impressive teeth. It was my second barracuda. It seemed to look at me with a greedy look."
Alain Bombard
It will indeed have experienced many adventures during its journey as a large swordfish "with a bad temper" which pierced the boat several times ...
And you, what was your biggest scare at sea? ➡️ I answer the question by clicking here!
To go further
📺 TO SEE:
"Alain Bombard, Le Naufragé Volontaire" by Didier Nion (2012) available here
📚 READ:
"Naufragé Volontaire" by Alain Bombard, Classiques Arthaud, download here