Frenchman Floats Across Atlantic in Orange Barrel, Lands on Dutch Island

A Frenchman has completed his nearly 3,000-mile journey across the Atlantic Ocean after floating for more than four months in a wooden barrel.

Jean-Jacques Savin left the Canary Islands off the coast of Africa on Dec. 26 and landed on the small Dutch Island of St. Eustatius last week. St. Eustatius is just 8 square miles and features Quill, a dormant volcano.

According to CNN, the 71-year-old floated at an average of just 2 mph as his orange barrel traversed the Atlantic. Savin designed and built the barrel, which measured about 10 feet long by seven feet wide. Its multiple portholes afforded Savin a nice view of his surroundings as ocean currents pulled him along.

Savin ate fish he caught during his trip and drank a few bottles of wine he took for special occasions — New Year's Eve and his birthday. 

During the trip, Savin dropped several markers in the water for JCOMMOPS, which is studying ocean currents.

Savin told a French-language website that he had eight difficult nights during his trip because of bad storms.

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