This one is a legend,
In 1946 Ben Carlin got the idea to use a Ford-GPA
to travel around the world under its one power.
He went to the USA and tried to get sponsored by
Ford,
that failed, they thought he was mad.
But he did find Elinore and married her.
Then he bought a GPA for $ 901, a 1942 Ford General Purpose Amphibious
GPA number 1239.
They put a boot like bow on it that could hold 100 gallon petrol.
made a cabin from plexyglass and metal plates, moved the propeller
backwards
to make room for an oil tank and made a real rudder.
A transmitter was mounted and to hold more fuel an under-belly tank was
made.
A good picture of the under-belly tank can be
found in René Pohl book
"Mit dem Auto baden gehen", ISBN 3893657029.
In 1947 the testing started, biggest problem was
carbon monoxide poisoning
because that gas can not escape true the hull of a boat/amphib.
The start from New York was 16 June 1948 (the
world trip was to be there honeymoon)
but Ben and Elinore had to return 3 days later because they had
problems with the rudder, leakage of the cabin and seasickness.
The second attempt, 13 July, failed because a wave
took the exhaust muffler.
They limped back with all vents open en fans fanning. (CO˛ poisoning.)
On 7 august they sailed again under a beautiful
sun, the same sun that was shining 8 days later when the propeller
baring welded shut through lack of lubricant.
If that was not enough the transmitter gave in!!!!
They drifted for a week, 300 miles from nowhere, until a Canadian
tanker
saw there flash light SOS.
They ware ready to leave Half safe, but the
Norwegian captain, Hans Brown,
greeted Ben with the words: "Hell, your not going to leave that god
damned Jeep lying around?"
Ben, Elinore and Half-Safe got a lift to Montreal.
In September 1949 they started again from Halifax,
it was then
clear that more fuel than what could be transported on board was
necessary. There for half-Safe towed two 500 litre petrol tanks that
where lost in the first night at sea. First the tanks collided and one
was leaking,
then the second tank broke lose in heavy sea.
Back in Halifax:
Ben offered to call the whole
thing off and to liquidate Half Safe. Elinore said "NO"
19 July 1950 they tried again this time with one
large tank on tow.
This tank was specially build, learning from last years failure.
They had 3337 litre (735 Gallon) fuel, 136 litre
(30 Gallon) water, 36 litre (8 Gallon) oil, and food for 6 weeks.
The sea was rough, the lack of ventilation made
there beds and sleeping bags very damp infarct it was so moist that the
labels fell of the food tins.
There was no room to move, no water to wash, the engine and oil gasses
and noise where a constant plague.
The under-belly tank was banging constantly against the vehicles bottom.
Because the nylon ropes they used to tie it to the bottom where expanding.
The transmitter failed again, likely through moist.
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