Nearly there!

[Deana Angell]

Alan, I think I'll need therapy if you are putting Dad in pink underpants!!!

[Powerboat]

Surely, Enda O Coineen's passage was the first unassisted????????

Best wishes,

Stuart

[Arek Pawelek]

Not the first one, when he had been recovered by Navy, but the second, when he made journey without any help/assistance.

[gavin]

Lets remember it was done in a 5.5 m Humber,Enda penned a book after the crossing , it is difficult to come by as it is out of print the book is called " The Unsinkable Kilcullen across the Atlantic by inflatable and other ways to get wet."The book code for this book is isbn 0-370-31119-1.

[Dirk Diggler]

Originally posted by narked
Hehe. Nah actually I've got an interview for a bar job in a hotel near Aberystwyth on tuesday, so I can sneakily give 'em free beer

Hey Crazyhorse, I admire your spirit, but i think your wasting your time on this one, afterall, when has it been possible to have a sensible discussion with a barman!!

Anyway CH, I agree with you, but at the end of the day it doesn't really matter, the first or last or whatever person to cross the Atlantic by whatever route only really matters to a handful of people, the majority of whom are most likely members of this forum.

I'm sure if you stopped a thousand people in the high street, they wouldn't have a bloody clue what you were on about, and wouldn't care either. It's not exactly a cure for cancer is it?

[crazyhorse]

I suppose what matters is they are all back safe and sound,after a hell of achievment all round.

I still object to people calling there competitors liars and insinuating that they are full of bull,just cos they tried to woop the pants off there past beleved records.

I have made my point and Sue says that I should not be arssed so.

Taraa to you record holders.

Even if nobody is realy that interested.

Remember I do sometimes?and that is one person.

[Richard B]

Originally posted by gavin
done in a 5.5 m Humber,Enda penned a book after the crossing...it is out of print the book is called " The Unsinkable Kilcullen across the Atlantic by inflatable and other ways to get wet."...isbn 0-370-31119-1.

Look on http://www.abebooks.co.uk - just type in the author (enda o'coineen) or title. If you're interested (and believe me, you really should be) then you can pick up a copy starting at £3.50 Happy reading!

[Powerboat]

Here's the blurb for Enda's Book The Unsinkable Kilcullen !

Best wishes,

Stuart


"Adventurous, romantic, full of Irish charm and humour, this is one of the most unusual, original and refreshing sea-going narratives to have been published for many a year. To set out deliberately to cross 2800 miles of stormy waters all alone in a 16 ft, rubber dinghy with barely two feet of freeboard requires certain unique gifts of character...or deficiencies of mind! The author made his first unsuccessful attempt at the age of 21, setting out from Boston in 1977. Eight years later he resumed his unfinished business with the North Atlantic in 'Kilcullen III' successfully. The author received the Black Bush Award for Outstanding Human Endeavour. A generous list of illustrations provided..one entire section in colour. Twenty-one very interesting chapters, three appendices and maps."

[DepSol]

Talking about books how about Confronting Poseidon, I thougt it was a great read.

Dom

[Daniel]

As you will see somewhere in the archives of RIB.net i thought that book was so damn good i could hardly put it down between it arriving on the doorstep and the last page.

Several of us at the time thought it could be a best-seller, i wonder how sales are going?

I'll be trying to get a copy of edna's book now i think.

Dan

[Alan Priddy]

Daniel

In answer to your question sales are very good in the world but very slow in the UK. This is all part and parcel of not being a public face.

It is a shame that in a world market we are wel known but at home we are very much disregarded. It is a typicaly British thing, unless of course you went to the right school. Alan P

[Richard B]

Originally posted by Alan Priddy
...unless of course you went to the right school...

I believe that Tutshill Primary and Wyedean Comprehensive are quite good for Authors!

[TIM]

Enda and I have been good friends for the past 12-13 years

Enda did the first crossing for too resions, 1. it was a kind of a bet. 2. it was cheaper than a flight home, he was working at the time , in a boat yard that repaired inflatable boats, and the sib he did the first crossing in, was used in the making of JAWS.....

At the first attempt he was capsized 300 miles of the coast of Ireland, he was a couple of days tired to the bottom of his sib, In a strom and he was found buy a british navy ship and taken on board, after he got his Sib back together, he asked to be put back in...!!!!! and the was then escorted to ships doctor!!! to check if he had gone mad..........

The second time he Maded it because he was in a rib and had self righting gear, and he was doing it because he was branded a madman, and a fool in Ireland, and had to prove it could be done ..........

His Rib trip sparked people doing the Alantic in loads of things, from bottles to whales and 6ft boats.......

PS the origanal rib was thrown out buy builders who were renovating his house and didnt know what it was...... and the second rib was sold because he was skint.........

The stories are endless about Endas Sib and Rib crossing, and the book is a good read..... It was also relised in the irish Lanuague and made it on to the secondary school Irish course...

[Arek Pawelek]

PS the origanal rib was thrown out buy builders who were renovating his house and didnt know what it was...... and the second rib was sold because he was skint.........

Fortunately, my boat (4,4 Sportis LR6S; "CENA STRACHU" / "PRICE OF FEAR") ended in museum, not in rubbish. The boat of dr. Bombard ("HERETIQUE") is proudly diplayed in museum in France too.
Pity, that people can't have a look at the "Kilkullen" - many of them could change their mind about the challenge, when they see how small the boat was...

[gavin]

Back in 1985, in a Humber Attaque 5.3, an Irishman called Enda O'Coineen successfully crossed the Atlantic single handed using sail and a 55hp Suzuki outboard, surviving the tail end of hurricane Hannah along the way. Enda started his journey on July 17 and arrived in the UK on Aug 21, another feather in Humber's cap.
Quote taken from Humbers site

[Powerboat]

One of the reasons that I am anxious that Enda's exploits should not be conveniently brushed under the carpet by Big Bucks PR Machines ............ Here Goes !

Back in 1992 myself and some fellow Army Officers over here established the "Shannon Sprint" Powerboat Speed record and raised over £40,000 for charity.

After setting the inaugural record we then actively assisted subsequent attempts by other teams to improve on or break our record. My own attitude to records is "Do it once , do it well and get out !"

We would only return if (like in Alan's case) something went wrong and we had "Unfinished Business !"

In 1994 we turned our attention to the Round Ireland Powerboat record attempt. The person who had set the record and held it in 1994 was one Enda O'Coineen. When I contacted Enda for advice I found a man after my own heart.

He quickly sent me a copy of the rules under which they had operated, gave advice freely and gave me some excellent contacts which were invaluable in our planning process. Before we crossed the start line in Kinsale , we received a most gracious message from the current record holder wishing us well.

I believe that this was the same spirit in which Alan gave initial advice and support to Bear's team.

I have tremendous admiration for people like Bear and his team who go out and do it. It honestly reminds me of myself at his age back in 1992.

I informed Bear about Enda's exploits while their own voyage was being planned. I think that "disappointed" would be a good word for how I feel about how Bear's PR and Press team have treated those who went before as they seemingly bounce from correction to correction in an attempt , I believe, to try in hindsight to "create" a record to hang their otherwise very worthy achievement on. I am disappointed that they did this by conveniently ignoring facts which were known to them about previous attempts.

Back in 1994 we had a superb PR machine ( Guinness were our main sponsors !!!) . We ( the team) controlled the PR and Press machine as we knew that both our professional and nautical reputations were at stake if a PR head went too far in order to improve the story .

We gave credit to those who had gone before, both those who succeeded and those who tried. We were on target to smash Enda's record when our steering on Guinness Challenger fell apart. We never got another weather window that year, Marriage, Military Service abroad and other factors took over and and therefore I too still have unfinished business with the Atlantic ! - Anyone know where I can get a good boat? !

Sorry for the long posting but I felt I should explain where I (and I suspect some others on the list ) had come from .............................

Appreciation of and Loyalty to someone who through their own example and courage paved the way for myself and my team and others after us to " Have a Go !"

Best wishes,

Stuart

[Chris Murray]

Not sure if you have seen this ...

news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/3154303.stm

Chris.

[narked]

Ohhh, they've removed the bit about the "failed" attempt in '97. Nice one. They must have got sick of us lot bitching at 'em!

[Powerboat]

From the Times Website on Saturday's Newspaper !

"August 16, 2003

Five conquer fear to beat Atlantic in blow-up boat
By Sam Lister



FIVE British adventurers claimed yesterday to have made the first unassisted crossing of the northern Atlantic in an inflatable open boat.

They arrived safely on the northern tip of Scotland after a treacherous 3,500-mile voyage.

Greeted by family and friends at the harbour at John o’Groats, Bear Grylls, 29, the team’s leader, said of the adventure: “I never imagined it would be quite as bad as it was."

Link:


Saturday 16 Aug 03 London Times

Hmmmm!

Best wishes,

Stuart

[Deana Angell]

Thanks for posting the link, Chris. I have been unable to access the forum since the BBC answered my email.