In September 2016 was finally released “Chasing Bubbles”, the documentary made out of the amazing footage Alex Rust made during his circumnavigation aboard Bubbles (February 2010/ July 2012). The documentary, fully available on youtube to stream or free download, it’s technically very well done, and as fast and astonishing as Alex is. It has been financed by a crow funding.
Alex Rust, a farm boy from Indiana, turned day trader to raise a few thousands dollars; then, aged 25, abandoned his life in Chicago, bought a sailboat and set out to sail around the world. With no previous sailing experience, and accompanied by a random crew of equally unprepared friends, family members, backpackers and wanderers…
If you never heard about this charismatic gringo, just watch the movie: don’t read further to avoid spoil…
Otherwise, well, that’s just my personal reflection about this zany person and his incredible appetite for adventures. A bit too yankee for my tastes (and maybe too rude with animals?), but definitely brilliant and open minded. A real traveler, who emancipated from the legacy of his father (a successful self-made man) fulfilling his need to succeed not trough work and money, but trough the chase of adventures.
Bubbles was a disaster when I boarded in the Philippines. Autopilot broken, fridge broken, piss all over the floor in the restroom, no air conditioning, bugs everywhere, and a rat living on board. But I think all of the crew members would agree that regardless of how you felt about Bubbles when you boarded, it felt like home by the time you left – and when it came time to leave, you didn’t want to go. In that sense, Bubbles completely embodied the personality of its Captain. – says Paul “Grandpa” Turc on http://www.chasingbubblesmovie.com/
Somehow Alex has been a punk sailor, an authentic 24h party sailor, and at the same time a modern Jack Aubrey, brave and big-hearted. His fast life and wild trip certainly inspired a lot of people. And even more people will be inspired by the documentary, because it really shows the spirit of the voyage, the atmosphere aboard Bubbles. The same anecdotes, just a few more years ago, would have remained in the cloud of the word of mouth, in the marina’s pub storytelling. But with current technology, accompanied by some social media culture and a bit of digital narcissism, this kind of adventures can reache a much larger audience. Welcome to the go-pro era…
And a last note: his memorial webpage is rising funds to help the children of an orphanage in the Northeast Region of India called Eden Gardens. Nice initiative, but the orphanage is run by Jesuits; I would prefer to support children trough some secular organization.
