A Frenchman is sailing home from Bangladesh in an eco and budget friendly boat partly made from jute, to raise awareness about the natural fiber that was once the mainstay of the poor Asian country's economy. Coretin de Chatelperron's journey in his small, jute and fiberglass boat will take him across the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean, among other waterways. He expects to reach Paris by mid-August. The 26-year-old sailor's vessel was designed by French naval architect Marc Van Peteghem and constructed at a shipyard on the banks of the Bangshai river near Dhaka. The project, funded by non-governmental organizations and wealthy businessmen, hopes to promote jute as a natural, cost-effective alternative to synthetic fibers that can be harmful for the environment. Jute is considered to be one of the most affordable natural fabrics. Although this will be Chatelperron's first journey, he said he was unfazed by the challenges ahead, although he was taking precautions. “I have taken a satellite phone, a laptop and a digital camera on my boat. I will also take on a ship in Oman to avoid pirates at the Gulf of Aden,” he said.
