Teenager Seeks to Enter Record Books as Youngest Member to Sail Round the World on Memory Foam
Sailing around the world in a boat or yacht is hard enough, but doing it on a raft is nearly impossible. Trying to perform this feat on a raft made out of floatable memory foam mattresses is like having a death wish, but that is exactly what one adventurous teen is trying to do.
"Ever since I was young I had a dream of making it around the world", said Chris Savage. "Sometimes it would be in a plane, sometimes it would be in a train. One time I had a whole plan that I would go around the world on a pogo stick, insane I know, but it was my goal."
Chris Savage has spent the past eight months working in a secret location. He has devoted every waking hour he wasn't in school to designing and building his raft/boat.
"We had this huge five foot pool brought in", explained Savage. "This allowed me to create things and see if it floated. You really don’t want to be out on the ocean with no way to contact people, only to discover that your boat or raft doesn't float or is sinking."
Chris Savage designed over 200 different raft and boat designs before finding one that was successful. Several of the original models sunk within minutes of being added to the pool, while the later models could float for several hours.
Once the original raft or boat design was made, Savage started to work on ways to add necessities to the raft. A bathroom, small sleeping space, and a communications deck was a must-have addition to the tiny little raft.
"I had to come up with some way to have these must-have accessories on the boat", said Savage. "I mean technically I could just use the side of the boat for a bathroom, but it seems so savage to do that. The bathroom or tiny toilet helps me feel normal when surrounded by the ocean."
Chris Savage has been working with a team of navigational experts to figure out exactly how to travel around the world. There are several things to consider including weather conditions, storms, and the movement of the waves.
"In my opinion, planning the route is the hardest", said Savage. "I was able to figure out how to get the memory foam mattresses to float, I was able to build the raft with no problems, but figuring out my course is the hardest."
If Savage is successful on his trip around the world, he will be entered in the World Record Books for youngest member to sail around the world on a raft or boat made of memory foam.
