A British father, Andrew Bedwell, has set sail across the Atlantic Ocean in the smallest boat ever, a 4ft long home-built vessel called the Big CV, in an attempt to break the 30-year record.
A British father, Andrew Bedwell , has set sail across the Atlantic Ocean in the smallest boat ever , a 4ft long home-built vessel called the Big CV, in an attempt to break the 30-year record.
He has been on the journey for three years after his previous vessel, the Big C, sank on the first day in 2023. Andrew, 52, left Newfoundland, Canada, on Wednesday and will sail 1,900 miles on his own to the UK. He hopes to complete the voyage in around 90 days. The sailor from Scarisbreck, Lancashire, is hoping to raise money for Cancer Research and inspire people to 'take on their dreams'.
Andrew has named his new vessel the Big CV2, which is fractionally longer than the last vessel, made from tougher aluminium and has a top speed of 4.2mph. He has spent the last few weeks making sure everything was in 'good working order' before setting off on his challenge. Andrew's boat was pulled out four and a half miles off the coast of Canada, past Cape Spear, the easternmost point in North America, to escape the winds.
The vessel in which Andrew hopes to complete his voyage on is called the 'Big CV'. It is 3.9ft long. Andrew is 6 ft 2, and with the boat just under four ft long, it means he has to spend most of the journey crouched into a slightly extended fetal position in good conditions. During the rough waters, he has revealed he will be harnessed into a seated position inside what he has described as an 'upgraded wheely bin'.
The journey began this week - three years after his previous vessel - named 'Big C' made from fibreglass was sidelined after it 'sank' in 2023 on the first day. Andrew only has 98 days of food onboard. Despite freezing temperatures, choppy conditions, and even the risk of icebergs, surprisingly, Andrew said he isn't 'nervous' at all.
Andrew instead admitted the hardest thing will be to be away from his wife and daughter who are his 'rocks', but he hopes to have enough power on the boat to contact them using a satellite phone. Andrew is expected to land back in the UK between August and September.
The record has been unbroken for the past three decades, currently held by Hugo Vihlen, who made the dangerous crossing in 105 days in a 5ft 4inch boat 30 years ago. Andrew's boat was pulled out four and a half miles off the coast of Canada, past Cape Spear, the easternmost point in North America, to escape the winds.
The conditions were the best he was going to get, calm waters with the wind blowing in a southwesterly direction at force 3, around 10 mph. The tow out was very smooth, the boat was moving with the wind and bobbing in the water well. Andrew climbed into the boat and checked that everything was all good. He seemed confident.
When it came to the release, it was very clean and smooth. The wind changed for the better when we got past Cape Spear, his sails picked up straight away, and when he set off, he began sailing in the right direction. Andrew's setting off was a huge sigh of relief after last time. Everyone on board and at home is excited and confident he is going to succeed
Please follow us on Google to support us Andrew Bedwell Atlantic Ocean Big CV Smallest Boat Ever Cancer Research Hugo Vihlen Cape Spear
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
NSF Plans to Scale Back Key Ocean Monitoring NetworkThe U.S. National Science Foundation has announced plans to reduce support for the Ocean Observatories Initiative, a $368 million network of deep-ocean sensors that has provided over a decade of continuous climate data. The phased removal of arrays in the Atlantic and Pacific wiLl occur over 15 months,sparking concern among scientists who rely on the data for studying greenhouse gases, ocean warming, and coastal flooding.
Read more »
2026 Atlantic hurricane season is here, but when will the first storm form?Tropical development is expected to remain limited as the Atlantic hurricane season gets underway, but forecasters say a shift in atmospheric conditions could raise the chances for activity next week.
Read more »
NSF to Dismantle Deep-Ocean Monitoring System Amid Climate Tracking ConcernsThe National Science Foundation announced plans to dismantle the Ocean Observatories Initiative, a $368 million deep-ocean monitoring system that for years had helped researchers understand climate impacts. The project, which collects data on temperatures, currents, and the ocean's absorption of carbon dioxide, involves removing more than 900 instruments. Scientists interpret this as the Trump administration's latest effort to stop climate tracking. The data from the initiative, particularly from the Irminger Sea, has been crucial for studying the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Current (AMOC), a system that scientists fear is weakening due to planetary heating and could collapse, causing major global weather changes. The NSF claims the dismantling will help prioritize support for evolving scientific priorities and emerging technologies, while critics argue that tracking ocean currents and temperatures is essential for understanding climate tipping points and their effects on everything from fishing to hurricanes.
Read more »
Deep sea observation station that tracks climate change set to be pulled from Gulf of AlaskaOcean Station Papa, which collects ocean and climate data, is one of five federal ocean monitoring stations the National Science Foundation plans to dismantle over the next couple of years.
Read more »