Posted on 07/17/2006 6:22:09 AM PDT by Marius3188
TWO Irishmen who stole a fishing trawler and tried to sail 67 miles across the Irish Sea after missing their ferry home were yesterday nursing hangovers and regrets in a police cell.
To their disappointment, they found they were still in Britain after sailing in the wrong direction and going around in circles.
Stephen Brennan and John Mahoney prompted a big air and sea rescue after realising, too late, that they did not have a clue how to sail the 30ft boat.
After twiddling the knobs on the boats radio, they managed to issue a mayday call, prompting a search by an RAF Sea King helicopter, a Holyhead lifeboat and a coastguard cliff rescue team. They had no experience of the sea whatever; they didnt even know how to switch the cabin light on, said Ray Steadman, launching officer of the Holyhead lifeboat.
The hapless pair stole the trawler Le Bon Mawr on Saturday night from the fishing quay at Holyhead harbour on Anglesey, North Wales, after they missed their ferry home at the end of a drinking session.
After eight hours at sea and an operation costing several thousands pounds, they were eventually located by the Holyhead lifeboat.
They had assumed they were heading for Dublin, but when they were eventually found they were off Wylfa in Anglesey, having sailed 12 miles in the wrong direction.
Mr Steadman said: They were completely lost and when they made the mayday call actually thought they were speaking to coastguards in Ireland. They were very surprised when they realised they were talking to Holyhead.
At the end they were very worried and just pleased to be found because they had been going round in circles.
They thought they were heading to Dublin but in fact they were going in the opposite direction.
The men were towed into Holyhead by the lifeboat and were handed over to police who, believing that there had been no damage to the boat, let them off with a caution.
However, when the boats owner, Paul Jones, 38, complained that his engine may have been badly damaged, they were rearrested on suspicion of causing criminal damage.
Mr Jones, married with two children, paid £40,000 for the trawler and runs a one-man business fishing in the Irish Sea for skate, cod and plaice. At first he thought that the boat was undamaged, but during a later inspection he discovered that there was oil spread over the engine and he fears that it could have been seriously damaged. An engineer will carry out an inspection today.
He said: I went back to the police as soon as I realised the engine may have been harmed. I still owe money for the boat, which is my livelihood. To me this is very serious.
A police spokeswoman explained that the men were at first released with a caution for taking the boat without authority because they had no previous convictions. When the owner later reported that he believed that the engine had been damaged they were rearrested and were in custody awaiting interview.
God invented whisky to keep the Irish from ruling the world
...God invented whisky to keep the Irish from ruling the world
There may be some truth to that !
If they'd stuck with hyperbolic rodomontade instead of the hard stuff, this wouldn't have happened!
Drunken Irishmen? Department of Redundency Department Alert! ......
Wearin' o' th' Green
"It wasn't me" ping.
So it's OK to steal a boat as long as there is no damage?
Apparently, it's considered as "borrowed"?.........
No, not O.K., but funny!
I agree that the story is funny. I'm just surprized at the response they got from law enforcement. If this applied to cars, it would be the end of the rental car industry.
Drunken sailors all at sea.
What do you do with a drunken sailor,
What do you do with a drunken sailor,
What do you do with a drunken sailor,
Earl-eye in the morning!
Chorus:
Way hay and up she rises
Way hay and up she rises
Way hay and up she rises
Earl-eye in the morning
Shave his belly with a rusty razor,
Shave his belly with a rusty razor,
Shave his belly with a rusty razor,
Earl-eye in the morning!
Chorus
Put him in the hold with the Captain's daughter,
Put him in the hold with the Captain's daughter,
Put him in the hold with the Captain's daughter,
Earl-eye in the morning!
Chorus
What do you do with a drunken sailor,
What do you do with a drunken sailor,
What do you do with a drunken sailor,
Earl-eye in the morning!
Chorus
Put him the back of the paddy wagon,
Put him the back of the paddy wagon,
Put him the back of the paddy wagon,
Earl-eye in the morning!
Chorus
Throw him in the lock-up 'til he's sober,
Throw him in the lock-up 'til he's sober,
Throw him in the lock-up 'til he's sober,
Earl-eye in the morning!
Chorus
What do you do with a drunken sailor,
What do you do with a drunken sailor,
What do you do with a drunken sailor,
Earl-eye in the morning!
Chorus
Hypberbolic rodomontade is what gave us Sinead O'Connor.
I'd rather have two drunks sailing to Dublin via the Great Circle Route.
Good point. If only her parents had read the warning label...
I'm glad the two drunk men didn't kill themselves or anyone else.
What is the differnece between adn Irish wedding and an Irish wake?
One less drunk.
"Rusty Trawler!"
"Who??"
"Rusty Trawler ... the fifth richest man in America under 50."
Or perhaps this bloke.
Depends on how intoxicated you are, apparently.
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