History of Bombard, experiment and adventure

Alain Bombard was a French physician and navigator who in 1952 conducted an experiment that has since helped save thousands of lives.

Bombard practised as a doctor in the Boulogne-sur-Mer region on the northern coast of France, just where the English Channel is narrowest.

He sailed a quarter of the Earth's circumference, in the worst conditions, and landed safely two months later in Barbados, in the Caribbean islands.By eating fish and plankton and drinking fish juice and rainwater, he demonstrated that it is possible for a shipwrecked person to survive at sea thanks to the richness of the oceans.

According to Bombard, a castaway's survival depended on a number of skills: having a good knowledge of navigation; knowing the winds, currents and weather very well; and being able to feed oneself using the resources of the sea, avoiding using one's own reserves of food and drink.

After studying multiple castaway testimonies, Bombard began a scientific investigation based on his own experience.He made a first trial trip aboard a rescue boat.He set off from Monaco with Jack Palmer, another navigator, and landed successfully in Menorca after two weeks.

The great trip as a voluntary castaway

In October 1952, Dr Bombard was determined to test his hypotheses in the real world and began his long Atlantic crossing.He first left Tangiers for Casablanca, then arrived in Las Palmas, and after a month of preparation, left on 19 October 1952 for America alone.

The boat he used to cross an entire ocean was a Zodiac inflatable, only 4.5 metres long and 1.90 metres wide, equipped with a 3 m2 sail. On board the "Heretic" (l'Heretique), he carried only a sextant for navigation guidance and very few provisions.

The Atlantic Ocean was a challenge for the Frenchman.On the fourth day of sailing he lost his spare sail and had to make do with repairing an old torn sail.To this must be added multiple storms, followed by weeks of complete calm, with no wind.

A glitch in his navigational calculations led him to believe he was moving much faster than he actually was. After 53 days at sea, he came across another ship that told him where he really stood: he still had almost 1,000 kilometres to go. However, after lunch with the crew, Bombard insisted on continuing his exploits. He finally arrived in Barbados on 23 December 1952, after travelling 4,400 kilometres and losing 25 kg.

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