I visited the INCREDIBLE JEEP/BOAT Half-Safe - Around the World without shipping - Overland Rides

[@Ebbyman413]

Seeing this thing, all I could think was "On this episode of 'RoadKill'..." That thing is EPIC!

[@yourdesertrambler]

Helen and Frank Schreider famously traveled the world in the 1950's in Tortuga II which was the same vehicle. Wrote a couple books about it.

[@johnfitzgerald5158]

I love the name of it, Halfsafe. People come up with dumb names for their vehicles these days. Halfsafe is a great tongue in cheek name.

[@TheRoadChoseMe]

Right! We joked we could call the Gladiator "fully safe" - it has so many safety systems.

[@HammerRocks]

@John FitzGerald Yeah, me too. Love the name. Distinctive. I read just now, how he came up with the name Half Safe. Excerpt from the website "Carlin named his vehicle the Half Safe after an Arrid deodorant radio commercial at the time that used the slogan: "Don't be half safe - use Arrid to be sure"." 😁😁

[@HammerRocks]

Your question: Can this feat ever be equaled or beaten? Most likely not. Not because we humans have lost our thirst for adventure. No siree. We still well and truly have the fire for adventure. It's the worlds governing bodies that will prevent such feats happening again. Our safety regulations would dictate if this will be allowed. And looking how strict many countries are with vehicle safety (land or sea), I doubt a vehicle like Half Safe would be allowed to enter or leave a country via the ocean, let alone be driven on public roads. It will most likely require a major backing by a globally known corporation if governments will even consider letting it happen. Half Safe should be displayed in the Australian National Museum.

[@1944GPW]

Great video! There are a few minor corrections needed though, if I may. The Half Safe is a Ford GPA, not a GPW. There was another Half Safe book 'Once A Fool!' written by Boye De Mente, another crewmate that Ben took on for the Tokyo-Alaska leg. Half Safe was recreated a few years ago by a WWII jeep enthusiast and sailed in Pittwater NSW, see video on YT. At 5:08 the particular GPA shown is 'Tortuga' driven by Frank and Helen Schreider from Alaska to the tip of South America in the late 1950s. You can see Dinah their german shepherd in the cabin. The story is covered in their book 'La Tortuga' (first edition) then '20,000 Miles South (later edition). The Schreiders also outfitted another GPA 'Tortuga II' and drove/sailed it along the Ganges river in India, see National Geographic October 1960 for the story. Then they sailed/drove Tortuga II along the thousands of islands of the Indonesian archipelago, see National Geographic issues May 1961 and August 1962 for those stories, and photographs, and they also wrote a book about the trip called 'The Drums of Tonkin'. Apparently they took movie film of the trip for Disney, but I've never heard/seen any of it. Frank Schreider died in 1994 aged 70 on his yacht in the Mediterranean and incredibly, their first GPA 'Tortuga' turned up in a Californian scrapyard in 2006, was recovered in time, and went to a jeep enthusiast in Norway. There were a number of other jeep world-crossing expeditions post-war, and had books written about them but sadly not enough space to list them here.

[@talleyrand2739]

read the first book in the 60s complete with Black and white pics and an one did show a small mast and sail ,sadly lost the book in my travels nice to know it came home to stay did unearth a willys in tpng in the 60s and got running LH drive ,used to jump out of top gear unless held n and that gearbox and transfer case a nightmare to work on

[@mainelybuds8543]

That is awesome! Makes you look like a weekend warrior Dan...LOL But, we all know better. Thank you for sharing!

[@fatmanoverlanding]

NUTS!!! Pure nuts! Traveling 16,000kms in open ocean in that thing, was pure nuts! Even in today's standards, traveling across an open ocean in a modern comfortable amphibious vehicle with all the latest technology and gadgets - ie. GPS, satellite comms, radar, AIS, EPIRB etc - is still nuts. It's hard to tell if Ben Carlin was brave or crazy. Maybe both. WOW. What a story. ✊

[@samesimilar]

Amazing! Haven’t heard of this before. Only thing missing is an adaptation to run on railway tracks :) Reminds me of the famous Joshua Slocum “Sailing Alone Around the World”… first solo circumnavigation. No electricity, radio, or GPS. Incredible story.

[@TheRoadChoseMe]

I love that book too! I was just talking about it yesterday.

[@samesimilar]

@@TheRoadChoseMe Also check out the SEFT-1 from Mexico, another totally unique overland vehicle. Similar look to the Half-Safe, but totally different journey :)

[@pdm1942]

So glad you found this vehicle and this place where it actually exists ! Its just an amazing story , I must learn more about the journeys !!! It is so good it has survived but in such a strange unknown place . At least it seams that way to me ! Thank you for sharing this information with us !

[@samhalderman3352]

There was another couple who drove/sailed a GPW from Circle Alsaska to the tip of South America many years ago. I remember reading their book "20,000 Miles South". I believe they also did an additional trip for National Geographic.

[@TheRoadChoseMe]

Awesome, I'm going to find that book!

[@carolyndavis4517]

great to see you showing this , i live in perth and have been telling people about this car for 2 years , most people dont believe the story . another mad australian was francis birtle who drove overland from london to sydney in the 1920,s . look up [ birtles and the sundowner car] . birles also rode around oz on a bicycle in the 20,s also . after your trip and the distances coverd imajine on a bike ,on tracks from camels. once again thanks

[@TheRoadChoseMe]

Oh wow, I'll look into those, thanks!

[@brycedunlap]

I could totally Half Safe being made into a Wes Anderson movie. But a real life documentary of trying to do this tip again would be epic.

[@craiggillphotography8030]

What a story. That is incredible

[@algo5052]

i have similar - luaz amphibia TPK🥰

[@jaytee66]

Extremely interesting thanks

[@calsurflance5598]

This was an awesome side trip. Had never heard of this before. Thanks for the history lesson. 👌 We could hear the excitement and emotion in your voice. Dan, if anyone could replicate a round the world Jeep/boat trip, it would be you.👍 As I write this I am looking at pictures of what the amphibious Jeep originally looked like. That thing is really modified! It looks like between 6000 and 12700 were built. Will we be seeing pontoons fitted to the Gladiator anytime soon? Thanks for keeping the Jeep flag flying!👍

[@rickbartley9255]

Terrific recap of this incredible adventure. Thanks!

[@reneemitchell157]

Absolutely insane!!!!! Thank you for sharing this with us.

[@michaelyoung3337]

Time for 4xoverland to do a documentary on this, its right there in town!

[@mansoorahmed3918]

Amazing story.

[@yorkchris10]

I don't know why I've never heard of this. There was someone with a Defender and pontoons attempting Bering if I can remember. The Jeeps through the Darien was a good story as well as the British Army RR's. It'd be nice if you could just ship the flotation bits or built to spec where you need.

[@mooreexpo2970]

Absolutely INCREDIBLE

[@erikcele1604]

Amazing!!!! Wow

[@realplatinum]

That's amazing

[@flysoutbackadventures]

Hope you checked out Alfred's Kitchen whilst you were in Guildford. Iconic eatery/late night burger place. Also, are u going to visit Esperance b4 u leave ? If so feel free to get in touch. As I'm here for the harvest. Would love to meet you guys.

[@davidmilledge221]

I know it's amazing that so many Aussies have made history doing unique things around the world but nobody in Australia knows or ever herd about it , it's sad , I remember at school all we were tought was about other countries they still doing the same today it's so sad , we have history and talent but it's never tought in our schools

[@Defender110SLO]

Owsome Jeep. Cheers Dan. 🍻

[@Mrseabug]

Hi Mate, Have a look at my amphibious car which went lots of places by land and water in the late 80's.

[@adamcable8872]

There is also a movie made about it from his old movie footage that he filmed himself. I saw it at the adventure travel movie festival at bright Victoria some years ago. I think you can find it on KZbin

[@TheRoadChoseMe]

ohhh, I'm going to try and find that, thanks!

[@theangrypickleadventures1368]

Amazing story!

[@blurglide]

How does that thing have the sea-going range to cross an ocean? Even 800 gallons doesn't seem enough for that much drag

[@KELLENKASH]

Very nice classic

[@mariusz4942]

Incredible

[@davidmilledge221]

Make a great movie that adventure

[@Shawn2ndaccount]

So cool!

[@KarlEller]

The tyres would probably be 6.5" wide 🤣6.5R16 would most likely be the tyre size, an old Imperial tyre, 6.5" tread width with usually a 1:1 ratio for the sidewall, coming out to somewhere around a 29" tall tyre.

[@MarkRose1337]

Perhaps this should go to the Off-road History Museum!

[@TheRoadChoseMe]

Seriously!

[@nickward8887]

We are all soft in comparison 😲

[@sierramantrvlnus]

Yay!!!

[@utahjohnnymontana3373]

Yeah, I don't think things like DUKWs and amphibious jeeps were ever meant to take on the open ocean. Its an amazing story and more amazing that they made it all the way around the world.

[@lwendooverland1212]

Hardcore..

[@danielklinger555]

ha thats my school!

[@TheRoadChoseMe]

Awesome! Have you ever seen anyone else come to checkout the Jeep? I still can't believe such a famous vehicle is just sitting there. It really should be in the world's greatest car museum.

[@danielklinger555]

@ no not enough know about it which I’m hoping to spread! And I hope it stays at school!

[@squatch2461]

🍻

[@langwightman1896]

Yikes!!

[@GATORADDAM]

It is interesting. But I can see why no one really visits it. Although it did do something epic it kinda looks like a Grammer school autoshop project! Hahaha.

[@Mariazellerbahn]

Not quite as awesome as Gerry Spiess who sailed across the Atlantic in 53 days aboard a ten foot plywood tub.