Not since Jonah was unceremoniously cast up onto dry land has a man lived to tell the tale of a journey inside the belly of a whale. But all that could soon be history.
Anyone with a sense of adventure, a strong pair of sea legs and a little over $11,000 to spare can start packing a kit bag for a voyage that would make the Old Testament hero look like a day-tripper.
British adventurer Tom McClean, who was the first man to row the Atlantic single-handed, is looking for nine shipmates to join him on the Trans-Atlantic Whale Challenge, a month-long passage from London to New York inside a 45-ton, 60-foot steel “whale.”
From the outside, the fat black vessel, which is under construction at a shipbuilder’s near Inverness, in the Scottish Highlands, does a good impression of a large marine mammal. It has “eyes” and a jauntily angled tail whose flukes, in calm seas, will double as diving platforms for the crew.
But that’s where the comparisons end. This whale knows blubber is not a modern sailor’s idea of comfort, so on the inside are well-appointed berths, a bar, video lounge and the very latest safety, navigation and communications equipment.
The aim is to be the first people the cross the Atlantic in a whale-shaped vessel.
“It’ll be a unique voyage,” McClean says. “Anyone who joins me will be creating history. No one has done anything like it before.”
An added, if not greater, attraction will be the opportunity to whale-watch.
Following the trade winds, the boat will set its outward course via the Azores and make the return journey, with a new crew, via Newfoundland.
“We hope to see some large shoals of whales, particularly on the homebound leg,” McClean says. “There will be windows all along the front and sides and a viewing deck up on the whale’s back.”
It’s clear that McClean can’t wait to get aboard his invention, even if it does mean leaving behind his two young sons and wife Jill, who suffers from seasickness. Having made five solo crossings of the Atlantic-in 1983 in a record-breaking 7-foot 3-inch yacht-he’s looking forward to having some company and plans to nurture team spirit with plenty of on-board games.
The confluence of two such skills perhaps explains why he built an outdoor center on the remote shore of Loch Nevis, at Ardintigh in the West Highlands, and now sells adventure to army units, schools, scouts and youth groups.
But treating yourself to a passage under the captaincy of McClean will not, in the whale’s case, make you an idle passenger. McClean doesn’t require crew members to have any previous sailing experience, but he does want everyone to be involved at all stages, from the day of signup to the moment the whale sails into New York harbor on July 4, 1995. Accordingly, the nine chosen voyagers will take part in the whale’s sea trials and spend time aboard her at Ardintigh.
“Once under way, the crew will be split into three watches and will be responsible for all day-to-day duties, including navigating, steering, communications and safety checks,” he says.
It’s safe to ask him if the thing actually floats without provoking a red-faced outburst.
“It will float beautifully and better than many boats that cross the Atlantic,” he replies, explaining its use of water for ballast and its stabilizing bilge keel design.
The hull is being made from quarter-inch-thick steel which easily will handle the hidden dangers, such as lost containers, that lurk just below the Atlantic waves. “Steel that thick will dent a hell of a lot before it splits,” he says reassuringly.
Compared with his previous crossings, alone and exposed in homemade plywood and nylon craft, life aboard the as-yet unnamed whale, with its twin 110-horsepower diesel engines, should be plain sailing.
“It’s an adventure, but it’s meant to be fun,” says McClean, who hopes the whale eventually will make regular trips across the Atlantic.
If $11,000 sounds like an expensive way of covering 3,500 miles, McClean is anxious to point out all the pre- and post-passage perks. As well as an invitation to stay at his adventure center, each crew member will be given one night’s “quality accommodation” in London and New York-before and after the voyage-and along with partners will be invited to predeparture and reunion dinners. The charge also covers food and accommodation aboard the whale and stops at the Azores and a single business-class air ticket back to London.
McClean hopes Americans will like the idea of the London-New York leg: “A chance to fly over, spend time in Scotland and London and sail back to family and friends waiting in New York,” he says.
“I bet when Jonah stepped out of the whale after three days and nights, he never got the kind of reception we’ll be getting when we pass the Statue of Liberty.”
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For more information about taking part in the Trans-Atlantic Whale Challenge, contact The Adventure Centre, Ardintigh, Loch Nevis, Mallaig, Inverness-shire, Scotland PH41 4PH.
