MYSTERY BOAT WASHED UP ON IRELAND’S COAST WITH A STRANGE MESSAGE

 

Sea coasts see a lot of strange objects washing across the shore. Sometimes it is a boat or a ship the crew of which needs rescuing or help and that is what the coast guard thought when a strange looking boat washed up on the shore of Ireland. The authorities ran to help only to find that no one was inside that strange looking object. A look inside and putting together of clues led to the solving of a bizarre mystery.

A Mysterious Object

It was not a sunny happy day but not unlike other gloomy days either in Ireland in 2016. The coast was misty but the fishermen were going about their work as usual and coast guards were on the lookout for some trouble and go to immediate help if possible. As it turned out, something did need their attention.

From Far

It did not seem like a boat or a ship, an inexplicable object was floating off the Irish coast quite aimlessly, without any objective. It was hard to make out what it was and who was controlling it. As per the rules, the authorities were contacted to look into the matter. After all, it could have been a security breach.

Collision Course

The large albeit strange object was headed for the rocky eastern Irish coastline. It was on a collision course. As it came closer to the sight, people, who had gathered by now hearing of the strange object floating, figured that it must a vessel of some sort, like a boat. It was moving on the will of the waves, whoever was guiding it was not doing a good job. But people were about to make a strange discovery.

Taking Action 

A crowd had gathered by now and they all were unanimously of the opinion that if the vessel was not rescued, sooner or later it would crash into the rocky coastline. It could be a possibility that people on the vessel were in trouble and if it were to crash their situation would only get more distressing. So the people decided to do the right thing.

Rescue Attempt

Calling the coast guards and the authorities seemed like the best thing to do. When the coastguard came, he, without giving a second thought to what this strange looking vessel could be, sprang to action. He was only concerned about the people on board and hoped they were not in danger.

Getting Closer

As the distance between the rescue team and the vessel started decreasing, things only became odder. The ship did not resemble any ship that anyone had seen before. It did not look like a water vessel at all but more like a caravan. They did not have time to dwell on the strangeness of design, so the boarded the ship only to find something stranger.

Something Strange

The first thing that the rescuers did was to look in every nook and corner of this ship to find people on board but after searching the whole boat they could not find anyone on it. This only baffled the rescuers. Where were all the passengers? Were they in some danger? What was this strange mystery on a seemingly regular day?

The Reaction

The whole situation seemed fishy to the coast guard. One of the rescuers said that this was the “strangest thing” he’d come across in his life. The boat was of a weird design to be on the sea. Getting on board only raised more questions than it answered. Where was this vessel coming from and where was it headed?

More Questions

Even though it was something that coast guard had not seen on the waters before, they believed that the vessel strangely was adapted to the sea. It was made of unorthodox material and the design would have one believe otherwise but the fact that it was floating without anyone on board was proof enough. But who made this? Where to begin the investigation from?

Taken For Investigation

After making sure more than twice that there was no person on board the coast guard decided to take the ship under their custody and begin investigating. Something seemed really off about an unorthodox ship with no one on it. The boat was brought back on the coast and the investigation began.

Back To The Coast

But the thing was, none of the coast guards knew how to steer this peculiarly designed vessel and checking it out on the sea was a more difficult task and they did not want to attempt that. Somehow they managed to get the boat back and when they dug deeper they found more things unusual about the whole situation.

The Condition

The vessel was intact but its external condition showed that it had its fair share of hard comings. The windows were broken and smashed pieces of the boat lay all around it. And even after being subjected to so much rashness the vessel was in a good condition to float.

A Boat House?

The construction of the boat was such that it assured the coast guard that it had been made keeping in mind that someone was to live in it but the fact that no one was found and the lack of personal belonging did not support this theory. When the boat was brought on the shore the curious people gathered around to see what it was all about.

 A Mystery Name

One of these people noticed what had earlier skipped the coast guard’s attention. One of the walls on the boat was written a strange message and this message hinted at who could have built the atypical boat. The message referred to a name which was later to prove essential in solving the mystery surrounding this vessel.

Perception

One of the coast guards said, “the shape, itself, is very unusual, because of the size of it. I initially thought it might be a caravan.” The new development, the discovery of the message only thickened the mystery. This was the name that was mentioned in the message but it did not make sense.

The Other Side

The message led to the discovery that the boat was built by a man named Rick Small but he was not a local. He actually belonged to another continent altogether. He hailed from Thunder Bay, Ontario and was famous in Canada for his eccentric creations and way of living. But if Small constructed this boat, where was he and why did he do it?

Solar Panels

When the coast guard dug into the history of Rick Small in order to solve the mystery, this is what they found- Small was an environmentalist and an advocate of alternate energy resources, like solar energy. He has been known to built vehicles like bicycles that rely on solar energy for power.

Not Helping

This piece of information did not seem to help the current case of the boat and how if it was built in Canada, it came about ashore in Ireland and how come there was no one on board. But the message did not just give a name, there was more for the coast guard to decipher.

Piecing the Puzzle Together

Further research on Small led authorities to articles which talked about his plans for building a solar-powered boat. But his idea was not limited to the construction of the boat. Reportedly, he wanted to travel in it too. If this was the boat he was talking about then where was HE?

Going Beyond

Rick Small did not just plan to travel along the Canadian coastline. He wanted to sail across the Atlantic to test his solar creation. At that time he could not have known the depth of his own determination and what it was going to lead too. Something bigger was in the store for him.

Where There’s A Will

So Small started working to build a boat powered by solar energy. He bought items from local places that he would have required to build his dream boat. His plan was to use lumber and polystyrene, a plastic that is hard and clear. All this information cleared up a lot, now the question remained where was Small and why did he write that message.

The Voyage

For a person who had no previous experience in boat making, Rick Small did a pretty good job. After getting all the items needed and all the elements right, he managed to build a 20 feet long functioning boat, which not to mention was eccentric looking. He had all he needed to get started on his voyage.

Getting Ready

With everything, ready Rick was prepared for his journey across the Atlantic Ocean. Before actually going ahead he thought it would be better to inform the coast guard about his journey but he did not get a very positive reaction. According to the coast guard, the vessel was not competent to make such a long sea journey.

The Doubt

Thinking that coast guard might actually have a point Rick Small started having doubts and thought that his idea of sailing across the Atlantic Ocean might not be a wise one after all. So he decided not to go. But if this is true then how did the boat land up in Ireland in the first place?

Not As Planned

The Canadian environmentalist dropped the plan but something unplanned happened. There is no knowing how but it is believed that somehow the boat got loose and started going with the current itself. There was no one on board. But what about that message in it?

Fate

The boat was probably let loose by a storm or a strong current or it just accidentally got detached but as fate would have it the boat as if knowing its purpose sailed all the way across the Atlantic Ocean and was found on the Irish coast, fulfilling its purpose. That is when the message on the boat was found.

The Message

From the Canadian island of Newfoundland, the boat traveled over 20,000 miles to be found at the Irish coast near County Mayo. You might be wondering what the complete message read. This is how it went-  “I, Rick Small, donate this structure to a homeless youth. To give them a better life that Newfoundlanders choose not to do! No Rent, no mortgage, no hydro.” But what did it mean?

Another Purpose

There is no knowing how the ship made its way to Ireland on its own, unharmed but the message inside makes it clear that Small purposed it for a homeless person. As an environmentalist, he is always sensitive towards the needs of his fellow humans.

The Idea

Small was not going to travel in the ship himself he thought of donating it to someone in need of shelter. The boat was big enough to become a small home. A ship sailing itself for thousands of miles was bound to make it to the world news and it sure did.

The Project

The story is cute and inspiring. Not only did Rick manage to achieve his goal of taking the ship across the Atlantic, he was generous enough to donate it. His kind-hearted act won many hearts but there were things about Rick Small that many people did not know.

Tourist Attraction

The appearance of the boat was enough to catch one’s eye but the heartwarming story behind it made it all the more special and the locals and tourist began to visit the Irish coast just to look at the boat and the message. There was, however, a dilemma.

The Dilemma

The Irish authorities were in a fix regarding what to do with the boat. They could not just abandon it because it had garnered a lot of attention.
A lot of companies wanted to take the boat under their protection and were interested in restoring it to a good condition wanting to make it as good as new but this was not to be.

A Landmark?

It was even suggested that the solar-powered ship should be made an official landmark in Ireland’s Atlantic Way tour. This would have helped promote the tourism in the area but before taking this decision Irish authorities tried to do one thing.

Where is Rick Small?

The boat was kept under storage and the Irish authorities hoped that Rick Small would claim it back but so far there has been no word from him. People have been searching for him since the boat was found on the shore of Ireland.

The Enigma

Strangely, no one has been able to find the exact whereabouts of Rick Small. It is also not known for sure whether the boat was detached accidentally or did Small do it on purpose to prove that it could indeed make its way across the Atlantic.

The Bike

This was not the first time Small built something that runs on solar power. He made headlines when he built a three-wheeler bike which is solar powered. In order to promote alternative sources of energy, he decided to ride that bike all across Canada! This is 4000 miles!

Cross-Country

So Small drove this bike and it took him 114 days to travel from the province of British Columbia to the Newfoundland. But it was not easy, in his own words, “the hard days are cloudy days, when it starts to rain and stuff, so I’ll have to pull over and set up and camp for the day.”

You Can Too

Even though it was difficult, Rick Small managed to travel the 4000 miles on his bike which could travel 17 miles per hour. He hopes to inspire others to do the same and use alternative fuels.

St. John’s

In Newfoundland, specifically in its capital St. John’s Rick Small had the idea of constructing a boat powered by solar power and so he started working on it.

The End

It is not really surprising that no one has been able to find Small. He likes staying off the grid and is not easy to locate.
Maybe when some other strange boat washes up on some other shore of some other country with a strange message, we would be able to locate him.