Two Irishmen get into a boat
The Times
July 18, 2006

LONDON: Two drunken Irishmen who stole a fishing trawler and tried to sail 107km across the Irish Sea after missing their ferry home were nursing hangovers and regrets in a police cell on Sunday.

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 an air and sea rescue after realising, too late, they did not have a clue how to sail the 9m boat.

After twiddling the knobs on the boat's radio, they managed to issue a mayday call, prompting a search by an RAF Sea King helicopter, a lifeboat and a coastguard cliff rescue team.

"They had no experience of the sea whatever -- they didn't 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 in 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, they were eventually located at sea by the Holyhead lifeboat.

They had assumed they were heading for Dublin, but when they were eventually found they had sailed about 20km in the wrong direction.

Mr Steadman said: "They were completely lost, and when they made the mayday call actually thought they were speaking to the 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 around 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 let them off with a caution, believing there had been no damage to the boat.

However, when the boat's owner, Paul Jones, complained that his engine might have been damaged, the pair were re-arrested on suspicion of causing criminal damage.

Mr Jones, 38, paid pound stg. 40,000 ($97,720) for the trawler and runs a one-man business fishing in the Irish Sea for skate, cod and plaice.

"I went back to the police as soon as I realised the engine may have been harmed," he said. "I still owe money for the boat, which is my livelihood. To me this is very serious."

The Irishmen are in police custody awaiting an interview.