A man set off on the river Medway, from Gillingham in Kent, and headed for Southampton. He had bought the boat the previous day! And set off with a Road Map!!
He had run out of fuel circling the Isle of Sheppey at Elmley Marshes. He had been given the advice to "keep England to his right" but had got confused at the Isle of Sheppey. I do wonder what he thought the two road bridges connecting Sheppey to Kent were.
According to Neville Crane of the Isle of sheppey HM coastguard rescue team.
He was very short on expertise, even shorter on safety equipment and had no navigational equipment whatsoever on board.
He was absolutely aghast that he had used three tanks of fuel to get from Gillingham to Elmley, which was only the very first part of his journey to Southampton... when he could do the whole journey by car in less than one tank.
He had no idea of the magnitude of the journey he was undertaking.
We did tell him where places to refuel his boat will be situated but we did impart the invaluable advice that in our opinion he'd be better off making the journey by train.
I mean I ask you!! The English Channel is one of the busiest sea lanes in the world.
According to the coast guard this is not unheard of. One "sailor" was surprised his Sat Nav didn't work at sea.
Nelson, Drake, Cook and Raleigh must be sinning in their graves!
3 comments:
That's unbelievable!!!!
I read about this - what a plonker *rolls eyes*
Amazing story Pete.
I wonder if the village missed its idiot while he was away?
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