Florida man may go to prison for trying to cross the Atlantic in a ‘hamster wheel’ boat.
A rapidly intensifying Hurricane Franklin had U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) officials preparing off the coast of Georgia in late August when they made a startling discovery—a hamster-wheel-vessel/” title=”Florida man may go to prison for trying to cross the Atlantic in a ‘hamster wheel’ boat.”>car-sized “hamster wheel” manned by a marathon runner attempting a transatlantic voyage.
They approached the cylindrical vessel that had a metal frame and flotation buoys encircling each end.
Inside, they discovered, the propulsion system was the legs of the sole occupant—51-year-old Ray “Reza” Baluchi.
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The contraption rolled along the top of the water like a floating hamster exercise wheel, officials said.
Mr. Baluchi was trying to navigate his “Hydro Pod” more than 4,000 miles across the Atlantic Ocean to London, England.
But there was a problem.
Also spinning over the water was Franklin, then a Category 3 hurricane, and as it approached the east coast of the United States—just south of Bermuda—it was heading directly in Mr. Baluchi’s intended path.
When Coast Guardsmen told Mr. Baluchi he was conducting a “manifestly unsafe voyage,” the marathon runner refused to disembark and allegedly held a 12-knife to his chest, threatening to kill himself.
A four-day standoff ensued. Eventually, the incident involved two cutters—the CG Valiant and CG Campbell—and associated crew and fuel costs.
After Mr. Baluchi allegedly threatened to detonate a bomb, Coast Guard officials called for the U.S. Navy Explosive Ordinance Disposal Unit for help, reports showed.
Eventually, Mr. Baluchi admitted the bomb was not real, and Coast Guardsmen arrested him on Sept. 1 after bringing him ashore in Miami Beach, Florida.
He was released on a $250,000 bail and faces a penalty of up to $95,000 and seven years in prison.
In court, Judge Jacqueline Becerra ordered his arraignment and preliminary hearing on Oct. 16.
While released on bail, Mr. Baluchi is barred from going near the ocean or boarding a vessel, according to court documents.
The Maiden Voyage
Mr. Baluchi built and tested his first Hydro Pod in November 2014 when he attempted a trip from Miami to Bermuda. The journey was cut short when the hamster-wheel-like vessel capsized, and he activated his satellite-GPS locator device, triggering a Coast Guard rescue.
Coast Guardsmen flew 70 miles offshore in a helicopter in the middle of the night to hoist Mr. Baluchi out of the ocean, according to a 2015 letter from the USCG to Mr. Baluchi.
Officials noted that he did not seem prepared for his journey to Bermuda. They were concerned that he only had bottled water, protein bars, a GPS device, and a satellite phone when they found him.
Mr. Baluchi insisted that he activated the locator by accident. The cost of the rescue reached $144,000, according to the Coast Guard. In today’s dollars, that would be upwards of $185,000.
In 2015, he told Coast Guard officials he planned to try again to reach Bermuda.
In response, officials issued two warnings to him that year and another in 2016. They said he wasn’t permitted to attempt another trip in his Hydro Pod unless he met minimum conditions for safety.
“The Coast Guard is, and has been, supportive of arduous individual and team challenges in the maritime environment,” Rear Admiral S. A. Buschman wrote in a 2015 letter.
“However, it is incumbent upon the Coast Guard to ensure these events are conducted in a safe manner.”
But in 2016, Mr. Baluchi departed again, this time from Pompano Beach, Florida, but was stopped by the Coast Guard in Jupiter, about 50 miles north.
In a letter, USCG Captain of the Port A.J. Gould urged Mr. Baluchi to “develop a voyage plan meeting the requirements I have set forth previously.”
He warned that the penalty for failing to use a support boat and seek prior approval from authorities before departure could be seven years of prison time and $40,000 in fines.
During his second 2016 voyage, after Mr. Baluchi was towed into international waters, the Coast Guard followed, USCG records show. For three days, they tried to entice him to exit the vessel.
Intended Voyage Gets Riskier
Undeterred, Mr. Baluchi attempted another trip in 2021, this time from St. Augustine, Florida, to New York City. But 30 miles south of his departure point, Mr. Baluchi and his Hydro Pod washed ashore on Flagler Beach.
Startled by the unusual vessel, a concerned beachgoer called the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies arrived and questioned Mr. Baluchi, who said he ended his journey early after losing equipment to theft, according to a police report.
In 2023, Mr. Baluchi aimed higher with a plan to travel 4,000 miles across the Atlantic Ocean to London, England. Ignoring orders from the Coast Guard, he embarked in August.
When authorities found him 70 nautical miles east of Tybee Island, Georgia, they tried to warn him about Hurricane Franklin, which was strengthening and heading north toward Bermuda, Coast Guard officials said.
After the four-day standoff, the Coast Guard successfully removed Mr. Baluchi from his Hydro Pod and brought him ashore at the USCG base in Miami Beach.
He was arrested for obstruction of a boarding, and violation of a Captain-of-the-Port Order, according to court documents.
Successful Transatlantic Adventurer
Crossing the Atlantic Ocean in a self-propelled vessel is not a simple undertaking.
Aurimas Valujavicius, a 29-year-old Lithuanian endurance athlete, said he trained an average of 12 hours a day for two years before attempting his 5,000-mile journey from Spain to Miami in his single-seat row boat.
Mr. Valujavicius told The Epoch Times that he was inspired to row across the Atlantic after receiving a spirited message from an online follower while paddling down a local river.
The message included a trailer video for the Talisker Whiskey Atlantic Challenge, an annual rowing competition that takes teams 3,000 nautical miles across the ocean.
He soon formulated plans to beat the current world record—111 days—for the fastest nonstop solo trip from Europe to the mainland United States without a support boat.
He ate four packages of tactical food packs and drank four liters of water a day, which he produced using a Schenker Watermaker, a complex filtration system that makes ocean water drinkable.
He supplemented his usual diet with chocolate bunnies and sashimi he made from a Mahi-Mahi he caught for fun.
To make sure his voyage was approved by authorities in Europe and the United States, Mr. Valujavicius registered his boat, purchased special insurance for transatlantic trips, and secured B1 and B2 tourist visas for the United States after seeking advice from the Coast Guard, he said.
He also downloaded a special app from United States immigration that would allow him to provide information before reaching the U.S. shore.
He was briefly followed by two police boats when he arrived within a few nautical miles of Miami, but they soon departed without asking questions, he said.
The biggest obstacle was the weather. But the most trouble didn’t come from storms.
Instead, he hit a lull in the mid-Atlantic, where waves were too calm, providing no help in propelling him toward Florida.
Mr. Valujavicius landed on a beach near Coral Gables, Florida, on April 25 after being at sea for 120 days, 14 hours, and 48 minutes, he said. He missed the world record by nine days.
But, he said, he’s proud to have become the first Lithuanian to successfully row from Europe to North America unaided.
How did the Coast Guard respond to Mr. Baluchi’s attempts to cross the Atlantic and what were the consequences for him?
Made a second attempt to cross the Atlantic in his Hydro Pod, this time from Miami to Bermuda. However, he was intercepted by the Coast Guard about 70 miles offshore and was again rescued. According to officials, Mr. Baluchi did not have the necessary safety equipment or supplies for such a journey, and the cost of his rescue reached $144,000.
Undeterred by his previous failures, Mr. Baluchi made subsequent attempts to cross the Atlantic in his homemade vessel. In 2016, he tried to sail from Miami to Bermuda for the third time, but his journey was once again cut short. The Coast Guard found him 10 miles offshore, and this time, he was not in immediate danger, so they did not rescue him. However, they did issue a warning and escorted him back to shore.
In 2018, Mr. Baluchi made his fourth attempt to cross the Atlantic in his Hydro Pod. This time, he planned to travel from Pompano Beach, Florida, to Bermuda. However, the Coast Guard intercepted him once again, about 70 miles offshore, and this time, they chose to tow his vessel back to shore. The Coast Guard cited concerns for his safety and the potential for his vessel to become a hazard to navigation.
Despite the repeated setbacks and interventions by the Coast Guard, Mr. Baluchi remained determined to fulfill his transatlantic voyage. In August 2023, he made his fifth attempt, this time trying to reach London, England from the coast of Georgia. However, his path intersected with Hurricane Franklin, and the Coast Guard deemed his voyage extremely unsafe. They attempted to persuade him to disembark, but he resisted and even threatened to kill himself.
A four-day standoff followed, involving Coast Guard cutters and the U.S. Navy Explosive Ordinance Disposal Unit. Eventually, Mr. Baluchi admitted that the bomb threat was not real, and he was arrested on September 1. He now faces a penalty of up to $95,000 and seven years in prison.
Following his arrest, Mr. Baluchi was released on a $250,000 bail but is prohibited from going near the ocean or boarding any vessel. His arraignment and preliminary hearing are scheduled for October 16.
The repeated attempts by Mr. Baluchi to cross the Atlantic in his homemade Hydro Pod have not only put his own life at risk but have also caused significant financial burdens on the Coast Guard. Each rescue operation costs thousands of dollars, and the repeated interventions have strained resources and manpower.
While Mr. Baluchi’s determination and adventurous spirit may be commendable, it is important to prioritize safety and adhere to guidelines and regulations when embarking on such risky endeavors. Disregarding safety measures not only endangers one’s own life but also places unnecessary burden on rescue services and potentially endangers the lives of others.
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