Vincenzo Fondacaro (3 March 1844 – 1893) was an Italian captain who crossed the Atlantic Ocean from Montevideo, Uruguay to Las Palmas, Spain on a boat that he made himself.
Following the Battle of Lissa, Fondacaro longed to cross the Atlantic Ocean from Montevideo to Las Palmas on a boat designed by him.
The boat, called "Leone di Caprera" in honour of Giuseppe Garibaldi, measured approximately 9m x 2.30m x 1.60m and weighed 3 tonnes.
Today, the "Leone di Caprera" can still be seen at the Museo Nazionale Scienza e Tecnologia Leonardo da Vinci in Milan.
However, when they attempted to return to Buenos Aires, Fondacaro and his crew disappeared in the Atlantic Ocean.