From Bangladesh to France, the small sail fishing boat Tara Tari, skippered by Corentin de Chatelperrron, lived out a scientific and humanitarian adventure over a 14,000 km course in 186 days. This experimental boat is the first to incorporate "jute" fabric in its construction. On August 17th, 2010, the expeditions end, Tara Tari demonstrated that it is possible to construct boats using at its base, jute fiber. This alternative to fiberglass represents significant ecological and economic advantages for Bangladesh development.
“Made in Bangladesh”.
The design and construction of this small Bangladesh fishing boat was in itself a challenge. Experimentation on a grand scale, Tara Tari is the first boat in the world built in composite integrating jute fiber (up to 40%).
Built in 3 months in the boat yard Tara Tari, the metal pieces and sailing rig came essentially from locally available materials, taking advantage of the dismantling of cargo ships in Bangladesh, (portholes, mast in steel piping, dagger boards from hull plates, etc. Only the security and navigational equipment was imported.
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Tara Tari Technical Characteristics Max. Beam: 2m Overall Max Length: 9m Weight: 1.6t Sail Area: 21 sq meters Draft: 0,5/1,5m [foils lifted /lowered] |
The Bengal “Golden Fiber”
The Bangladesh people know well how to use jute. It has constituted the primary industry for centuries, but has now declined in relation to synthetic fibers. Out side of being a rugged fiber, light and inexpensive, it is a very good alternative to glass fiber in composites:
- From an ecological standpoint, it is a natural fiber that grows in the Bengal Gulf compared to energy intensive fiberglass, which must be imported.
- Its use in composites offers a considerable economic hope for the jute industry in Bangladesh.
At this time, where the country, with the largest boat fleet in the world, is going to change its naval construction base material from wood to composite, developing this alternative has a significant scaled economic and ecologic impact for Bangladesh.
“Tara Tari” means “quick” in Bengali
The Tara Tari expedition
Over a period of 6 months, Corentin’s sailboat followed the Brahmapoutra River, passing by the shantytowns of Dhaka and rejoining the Ganges delta. He then sailed in the Bengali gulf up to Sri Lanka then, pushed on by the monsoon winds, he bypassed the Maldive Islands and crossed the Indian Ocean to reach the Aden Gulf. Then from Yemen, he sailed up the Red Sea, and crossed the Mediterranean to arrive back in France. Pirates, currents, storms, administrative holdups, technical problems, sharks, rocks… Corentin and his boat had a true adventure and we anticipate the success of their primary objective, to prove the strength of jute fabric in extreme conditions.
This out of the ordinary expedition has largely been followed by the Medias. It has already been the subject in numerous magazine articles, television reports, a short feature as well as a book.
Tara Tari was on display at the 2010 Grand Pavois in La Rochelle and at the Salon Nautic in Paris. Corentin was the honored guest at the Mille Sabords du Crouesty boat show.
Corentin de Chatelperron
Project leader and skipper of the boat, Corentin is a young engineer (ICAM). After having worked 3 years with wind turbines and the creation of eco-tourism projects, he left for Bangladesh at the beginning of 2009, to help Yves Marre build the Tara Tari boatyard. He quickly discovered the advantages of developing a jute fiber based composite. Convinced that they must make the scientific expertise of the West available to poor countries to help them in sustainable development, he decided to create the Tara Tari project.
Yves Marre
A French navigator, he had come to Bangladesh from France on board a barge, which he transformed, once there, into a floating hospital. With his wife Runa, he created the association Friendship and the boatyard Tara Tari, which for the last 15 years has come to help housands of Bangladeshi people. Yves tranferred to Corentin, his navigational experience and his extensive knowledge of Bangladesh.
Marc Van Peteghem
A Naval architect recognized worldwide (VPLP), Marc generously became involved in the project. He founded the association WATEVER in 2010, with the objective to bring assistance to disadvantaged populations who live on the shores of oceans and rivers. His work was to study and implement technical solutions adapted to their economic, social, climatic situations, in any apect, which was related to water based activities.
The project is sponored by Gérard d’Aboville, and numerous other enterprises support this initiative. Plastimo, Oryx, Incidences, Multitrans, Therpho, Jules, Harken, Soromap and Voiles&Voiliers have already participated in the adventure.
Tara Tari needs partners to continue the adventure
Tara Tari seeks scientific partners and sponsors who will allow continuing on to the second phase of research on jute as a building material. Founds are necessary to carry on for the next two years of study.
The objective of this new phase of the project is to develop a composite fiber material of jute/polyester resin adapted to an industrial application.
Corentin de Chatelperron will manage this research within the WATEVER association (the president being Marc Van Peteghem).
Why join us?
- To revitalize the jute sector, the “Golden fiber” of Bangladesh, this was the first industry of the country for centuries
- To participate in the economic and social development in one of the poorest countries of the world,
- To initiate an ecologic turning point on a country wide scale by creating an alternative to fiberglass
- To promote at a worldwide level concreted solutions involving sustainable development.
