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Captain Bubble is sealed inside a plastic sphere in Singapore and travels 4,000 miles across the Indian Ocean to Dubai. During many weeks at sea, the only thing that enters the sphere is sunlight. So Captain Bubble is kept alive with freshwater, food and oxygen provided by plants inside Bubble.

Why Bubble?

Seven billion humans live in a tiny bubble floating in the ocean of space...

...kept alive by a living system - the biosphere - that provides oxygen, freshwater, food and many other vital services.

Unfortunately, humans fail to protect this natural system and, day by day, our global life-support is eroded.

Bubble will highlight this global crisis with a high-profile adventure that combines modern technology, basic human biology and a big bubble that crosses an ocean with a man inside.

What will get Bubble?
Many things threaten Bubble on it's journey across the Ocean. UV rays from the sun may weaken Bubble's skin. Bubble could blow off course and drift onto rocks. A hole may be bitten in Bubble by a Cookie Cutter Shark, or a hole punctured by the bill of a marlin. Bubble may even be run over by an oil tanker steaming from the Persian Gulf toward the Malacca Straits. Or maybe Cptn. Bubble will go a bit nutty and cut his way out of Bubble.

Where will Cptn. Bubble poo?
Even a Cptn. Bubble needs to go to the loo. Cptn. Bubble will have a toilet, similar to a normal toilet, but without water - a dry toilet. The waste will then be - ADD SOMETHING HERE - so it won't get smelly or be unhealthy. (We haven't figured this out yet. But don't worry, we will before Bubble leaves Singapore).

What is Bubble made of?
Bubble will be made of a very strong, transparent plastic that is food-grade and UV resistant. Presently, we are investigating a material called Elastollan Aliphatic TPU - Code L 1185 A 12. This has several key characteristics - UV stable, very transparent, food grade (non-toxic), very strong and malleable.

How will Bubble move?
Bubble will be towed across the ocean by a solar powered barge called the Smart Barge. The solar panels on the Smart Barge will drive an electric motor with a propellor. At night, the Smart Barge batteries will drive the propellor. In this way, Bubble can move 24 hours a day. Cptn. Bubble will navigate.

How long will Bubble be at sea?
Bubble will travel about 4,000 nautical miles between Singapore and Dubai at a speed of about 2 miles per hour. The journey will take about 3 months (lets call it 4 months, to be on the safe side). Most of this time will be on the open ocean. However, the beginning and end of the journey will be in two of the world's busiest shipping lanes: The Malacca Straights and the Straits of Hormuz.

How will Cptn. Bubble breathe?
Cptn. Bubble will consume over 500 litres of oxygen every day. Without some means of producing oxygen inside Bubble, Cptn. Bubble would be dead within hours. So Bubble contains lots of plants - the Bubble Forest - that produce oxygen.

What will Cptn. Bubble eat?
Cptn. Bubble eats from the Bubble Forest. Sometimes. The Bubble Forest will not produce food fast enough for all of Cptn. Bubble's requirements. So Cptn. Bubble will also raid the Bubblelarder. Maybe. Not too sure about all of this. Maybe Cptn. Bubble will have a chicken for eggs. The Bubblechook.

Why Singapore to Dubai?
Bubble wants to atract a lot of attention. To do this, we need a really exciting story to tell - a tale of two cities and an ocean voyage in between. Singapore is a nation with a thirst for sustainability and Dubai is a highly developed City with a thirst for standing out. Plus, the route between SIngapore and Dubai, across the Indian Ocean, is within the Inter-tropical Convergence Zone - the Horse Latitudes - where the weather is always calm. Furthermore, over half of the world's ship-bourne oil passes the Straits of Hormuz and the Malacca Straits.

Will Bubble be alone?
Bubble will not be alone. Bubble will be accompanied by a Support Vessel, onboard which will be a team dedicated to ensuring that Bubble and Cptn. Bubble keeps out of trouble.

Will Cptn. Bubble be alone inside Bubble?
Cptn. Bubble will be alone inside Bubble. Except he might have a chicken (for eggs) to talk to. And he may even have a pet. Something small that doesn't consume too much oxygen.

Will anything go into or out of Bubble.
Bubble will be heremetically sealed. This means that no air will move into our out of Bubble once Cptn. Bubble has stepped inside in Singapore. Only when Bubble reaches Dubai will Cptn. Bubble be able to breath air from the atmosphere.

How will Bubble deal with CO2?
CO2 is breathed out by Cptn. Bubble on every breath. If CO2 is not removed from Bubble's Air, Cptn. Bubble will die. While the Bubbleforest will help to remove the CO2, it will not be enough. So Bubble will include a - ADD SOMETHING HERE - to remove the CO2 naturally. (We are not sure about this at present, but think that alge play a big role).

Where did this crazy idea come from?
Bubble was hatched in a lucid dream on 9 November, 2012.  However, the idea of doing interesting things with large inflated spheres came from involvement with a solar project called Solarsphere, seven years ago. And the idea of a solar powered barge came from a Solar Powered Boat Race and the entry called the Smart Barge.

How can I support Bubble?
If you are interested in this project, send me, Guy Lane, an email. Let me know if you have any ideas or want to be involved, emotionally, materially, financially or in any other way. Remember, Bubble is not just about some nutty dude on an adventure. Bubble communicates sustainability.

Who is Captain Bubble?
Now that is a question worth asking. You can find out more by following the adventure of Bubble as it unfolds.

i would lower the bubble down a bit to get more UV protection - sunburn will be a serious risk in this adventure...