Vital Alsar

Between 1966 and 1973, Alsar led three expeditions by raft across the Pacific Ocean, from Ecuador and Australia. The first expedition failed, but the second and third succeeded, both setting the record for the longest known raft voyages in history—8,600 miles (13,800 km) and 9,000 miles (14,000 km). The first took place in 1966, using a simple raft, La Pacífica. The voyage was cut short by damage caused by teredo worms in the wood of his raft, which sank after 143 days—Alsar being rescued by a German ship. A second attempt in 1970 on a new raft, La Balsa, was successful, and reached Mooloolaba after 161 days and 8,565 miles (13,784 km).[1] A third voyage in 1972 featured three rafts. They reached the coast of Ballina, Australia after 179 days at sea (one of the three foundering in Australian waters).[2][3]

Galleons used by Vital Alsar in Magdalena Peninsula, in Santander.

Vital later replaced the rafts with galleons to carry out the project "Mar, hombre y paz", which was begun in 1980. This expedition took the trapo blanco (white rag), around the world on board the La Marigalante.[4][5]

Alsar resided in Veracruz, Mexico, and spent his time with his grandchildren and profiling a new project that aims to unite all of the marine world. The new project is called "El Niño, La Mar y La Paz" (The boy, the Sea and The peace). It consists of carrying a child and thirteen crew aboard a trimaran named Itzamna (the Mayan god of knowledge). It set sail in 2009 from the Mexican island Cozumel. At each of the 27 ports it will be visited to deliver a message of peace to the world and make a tribute to all mariners in history.

The Cantabrian navigator Vital Alsar, aboard the Trimaran Zamná - God of the arts and the knowledge- is in the heat of transatlantic passage that left from the island of Cozumel, in the Mexican Caribbean, and will finalize in the Port of Pireo in Greece. They will be 15,000 nautical miles (28,000 km) those that it will confront, to its 75 years, the adventurous veteran, moved with the eagerness to transfer to the world a message of peace of the American indigenous towns. They will be 27 ports by which the ship saturates through its day's work. The operative center is located in the city of Santander, Spain and the arrival to its beautiful bay for next the 27 of September is expected.

The nobody best one than own the Vital Alsar so that it sets out the essence to us of this new adventure: “I come to give the "marine tin" with this new trip that, like that I have undertaken, they try to take a little romance, science, culture, history and, mainly, peace”. There is no storm that restrains the Cantabrian men... " I have never seen anything else than war throughout my life". For that reason the challenge has seted out “to see wave the flag of The peace, if not in the masts, at least in the hearts of people”.

In the operative center the special station EH1PAZ (PAZ means PEACE) has been qualified that will make the pursuit daily of the boat. This special station will be operative in the HF bands the time that lasts the entrusted pursuit.[6]