The ticket gets paid

The unbelievable kindness of the people from Bermuda has not stopped. Peter Michelson, a Bermudian living in New York, contacted us and paid the ticket. Check out this article.

http://www.theroyalgazette.com/siftology.royalgazette/Article/article.jsp?articleId=7d75f3330030018&sectionId=60

Ultimate Bermuda Challenge : Why?

Why did we go to Bermuda?

It was supposed to be about the boat.

It turned into about the two nuts who had the guts to do it.

The purpose of the trip was to show that our 21 Ft. Intruder could handle 6 - 8 Ft. waves. Lots of boats can handle 6 - 8 Ft. waves but can they also run in less than six inches, not beat in a chop, and still be reasonably dry. I told a lot of people it could run in 6 ft seas, most did not believe me. I guess one too many laughed at what I said. So I decided to make a statement.

I could not think of anything better than a trip to Bermuda, then on to New York Harbor. It was never about the record, until I learned it would probably be a record. You can thank Bob Hite, NBC Channel 8 Anchor for that, as he was the first to point it out.

The trip had to be unescorted to show that we did trust in the seaworthiness of the boat, and of course God smiling on us, not a larger boat following us.

The above pictures are of two 18's. The yellow 18 belongs to Eric Marshall a professional guide with 5 people on one side, very stable. The white 18 belongs to Mike Embach, here he is shark fishing five miles off of Crystal River, Florida.

.

Ultimate Bermuda Challenge Official Documents in N.Y. Harbor

Here we are approaching NY Harbor. I am driving at this point. If you look close you can see the dolphins playing in our wake.

Here we are with the Statue of Liberty. We did a victory lap at the Statue. We found out you can't do that. Three nice Port Authority Officers showed up in a Police Cruiser and wrote us a $75.00 ticket, about 20 - 30 minutes after we got there. It was nice of them to provide the government documentation of our arrival for the World Record Certification. I believe her name was Officer Teeple, who gave us the welcome home paperwork. In Bermuda people asked us to sign a copy of the newspaper with our pictures on it. In NY Harbor, we got to sign a summons. See how much we are alike.

See below for additional information also you can

click below for media links, The Royal Gazette, and The St. Pete Times, we will add the Tampa Tribune later. There is also a link to a phone interview with Fish Boat Magzine at this site.

http://medialinksubc.blogspot.com/

Ultimate Bermuda Challenge Pix 6

These are Friday morning about 180 miles from NY city. It is calm, an we could average about 25 mph at 4000 rpm. These are a bunch of dolphins that are about to come play in our wake.

From the number of pictures I took to the motor, you can tell I was impressed with that Suzuki 115 four stroke.

Ultimate Bermuda Challenge Pix 5

Let me encourage you to go all the way to the bottom and pick up the older blogs.

Miscelleanour pixs. The Work horse...... Bob, Bob, and Bob. Look at the beautiful sunrise Friday morning. It was cold, cold, and glassy, but Beautiful.

Ultimate Bermuda Challenge Pix 5

Driving in the rain, sleeping in the rain, and of course the Work horse,
What an engine that Suzuki 115
we pushed that heavy flats boat in rough seas at an average of 3.14 mpg. on the way to Bermuda

Ultimate Bermuda Challenge Pix 4

More miscelleanour pix. Top Ralph The GPS at 5mp, Bob, The Work Horse--- our Four Stroke Suzuki 115, Ralph in the Cubbie

Ultimate Bermuda Challenge Pix 3

Let me encourage you to go all the way to the older blogs at the bottom and start in April

We changed the oil in Bermuda, usually I let a mechanic do it. I did it myself this time, I did not realize I needed to tell the computer that we changed it. The oil light started flashing about 100 miles from Bermuda, 700 miles from shore. We threw out the sea anchor, turned the boat into the waves, 4 - 6 ft , checked the oil. It was fine, so I called my mechanic. While we were waiting to call back we fired up our 6 hp kicker. It pushed us a whopping 5 mph. We made a big joke out of it and agreed that if we needed to take it all the way to shore, we were not calling for help.
Obviously, when I called back the mechanic, we realized there was no problem, he told me how to tell the computer we already changed the oil. Truth of the matter cruising at 5mp would have made fishing possible an extra 4 day vacation!!! The Suzuki 115 ran like a top. It just purred right along. What an engine!
We had a little cubbie hole in front of the console that we slept in some, and also used for phone calls you really had to squeeze into it.

Ultimate Bermuda Challenge Pix 2

Let me encourage you to go all the way to the bottom and read the posts beginning in April

More pictures of getting ready to leave. At the bottom we are towing the Famous Donna Lange out to sea. Her engine was broke and she wanted to sail back to Rhode Island. What a privilege.

Ultimate Bermuda Challenge Pixtures

The first three pictures are leaving Bermuda. Notice Donna Lange, the famous world traveling lady. Circumnavigated the Globe in a sailboat, solo. The bottom two are saying goodbye to the great people at Ocean Sails in Bermuda. The middle picture is the guys from Triangle Dive Shop

Home at last

I just got home a few minutes ago, it is 4:30 am. I am so excited. It is Sunday Morning, and I have been driving all night, I will be in church today. Check it out, Northcliffe Baptist Church in Spring Hill, Fl. For all you people who have focused on the danger, I understand your concerns, but also let me encourage you to think about your heritage, The Great American Spirit. The Great American Spirit, with God given guidance made this the greatest country in the history of the world. Our fore fathers endured great hardship and great risk to provide us this heritage. They did not focus on the danger, rather the success.
You want danger, talk to the families of Sgt John Harvey, USMC; LCPL George Holmes, Jr., USMC; SSgt Dewey Johnson, USMC. I was on the original roster to take back the US Embassy in Iran. They downsized the roster and took my name off. These are the US Marines that died in my place. They are heroes. The soldiers and Marines in Iraq are the ones in real danger, not me I just believed in my boat, and with help from others and God proved it. If you read the whole blog, you will notice we were careful with help not to get in bad weather. Yet we trusted the Intruder. You would too, if you rode one.
My brother Bob, never thought we would go all the way to Bermuda, he thought we would turn around at the first big waves. That is what changed his mind, big waves. The Intruder took them flawlessly. We went 1547 miles of open ocean, according to our GPS, and by God's grace never felt in danger at all. We broke NO LAWS, and disobeyed no authority. We had more than the required safety equipment. We were in constant communication with the Bermuda equivalent of our coast guard by their request, and they were in constant contact with our Coast Guard, we were tracked all the way back to New York Harbor. I think they were a little surprised that we made it, but both offices told us that we did a great job. The Coast Guard is an absolutely excellent organization. Their Search and Rescue teams save countless lives and risk their own without reservation, and they love doing it. They are heroes. I would never disgrace them.
Yes, they and half a dozen more government representatives tried to talk us out of finishing the trip. That is part of their job. They said we had already traveled more than any unescorted flats boat that they knew of, and should declare victory. However, that was not the plan. We were determined to finish the course, just like Dream Boats will finish its course. It will become a major competitor in the boating industry.
The Intruder is solid boat. It was designed for the strong who want a flats boat that could take mild stormy seas, and still feel safe. Almost every single person who ever looked at our boat didn't think much of it, just like Bob, until they rode in it. Bob learned to feel safe riding into a storm in the dark with the moon and stars blocked out by clouds 300 miles from the nearest shore and never felt in danger. We really could not see anything, with 4 -6 foot seas and pooring down rain. However, we were very cold, man were we cold, did I tell you it was cold. I am a Florida boy, and I tell you it was cold. We had all kinds of cold weather gear, but it was still cold.
I know it is yet to be determined, but I have been told that we set a new world record, and broke it in a two week period. That is success. For that success, I thank God and all the other people who helped us like Marin Savov, Pete Rostel, Steve and Sandy Holis, Geoffry, Pete Cardil, and many, many others. Please forgive my spelling. Tomorrow after some rest we will post several pictures and a complete summary.

They Made It!

Well, they made it! Ralph called today at 2:00pm to say that in the distance they could see New Jersey, and they were soon to be pulling into the bay. He said the trip went pretty well. Thankfully, the seas remained relatively calm. They expected 5 - 9 footers for a short time, however they were 2 - 6 most of the way home. He said, "we made it, we traveled over 1500 miles of open waters and we did it all in an Intruder flats boat." For those who say that the Intruder 21 is not a sea worthy boat, think again. It seems that Ralph has just proved that it is. We'll have more details (and I'm sure pictures) to share soon, probably from Ralph himself. Can you imagine the scene now, a yellow 21 foot flats boat pulling into New York harbor after a 1500 mile journey. I'm sure we all would have loved to have see that. Way to go Ralph and Bob, you did it!

Almost There!

Ralph called just a few minutes ago stating they were 112 miles from New York Harbor and that they would coming ashore sometime this afternoon. I am sure that they will be glad to get their feet on dry land. I know that their family's will be glad to have them home safe & sound.

It has been a long journey and they have accomplished their goal. To prove that the intruder is a sea-worthy flats boat. A boat that can go in shallow water anywhere from six inches of water and also be sea-worthy for those shor trips several miles out.

They stated that the weather was not bad at all and the seas were somewhat calm. They apologize to anyone that may have thought their trip was unsafe. They always felt that their safety was important that is why they watched the weather report and waited a week to come home. They also had brought aboard a satellite phone, an Emergency Position Indicating Radiobeacon (EPIRB), and they wore a teather that was tied on the boat at times. They both are very good in the water having grown up surfing in Cocoa Beach.

Thank God they are almost there.

On Their Way To New York

I received 2 satellite phone calls from Ralph today (Tuesday May 9th). They seemed to be doing very well. They were both very excited, and looking forward to the venture. Ralph said that they were expecting 5 - 9 footers today with 2 to 5 footers the rest of the trip, hopefully. They were approximately 70 miles off the coast of Bermuda when the engine oil light came on. They immediately turned the engine off, dropped in their sea anchors, called a boat mechanic, and did some investigating. Ralph said that they now have a tether system (which you can see in the pics) that they devised, so they tied themselves to the boat before leaning over to check out the engine. Come to find out the light came on to notify them to do an oil change, which they had just performed before they left. They were told by the mechanic that there was no problem, so they fired it up and kept on going. Some of the pics show some of Ralph and Bob's new friends, that they met in Bermuda. Their friends have really helped them out a lot, from building a wave brake, and giving advice, to charting their every move by radar. Stay posted right here for the latest up to date info on the trip. I'll be sure to let you know what's happening when I hear from Ralph and Bob next.

From North Carolina to Bermuda, (675 miles of open ocean),From Bermuda to New York Harbor, (775 miles of open ocean).in an UNESCORTED FLATS BOAT. By definition a flats boat is a single engine,low profile, open fishing style boat, that can run in less than one foot of water. This Intruder 21 can run in 4 - 6 inches of water.

*********New Readers should start at the bottom*********

The US Coast Guard called me today to emphasize that this kind of project should not be done at home. They currently are involved in several search and rescue attempts that were related to the storm mentioned earlier. Thank God the Intruder will not sink.

Waiting on the Perfect Storm

From North Carolina to Bermuda, (675 miles of open ocean),
From Bermuda to New York Harbor, (775 miles of open ocean).
in an UNESCORTED FLATS BOAT. By definition a flats boat is a single engine,
low profile, open fishing style boat, that can run in less than one foot of water. This Intruder 21 can run in 4 - 6 inches of water.

****NEW READERS SHOULD START AT THE BOTTOM*********

Currently there is a major storm off the coast of N. C. and another forming near N.Y. some people have called them the perfect storm. We are waiting out this situation. I flew back to Florida to take care of some business issues while Bob stayed with the boat, to make some preparations. My temporary cell phone number is 352-346-2365.

I will be flying back to Bermuda on Tuesday, May 8 and planning to slip out the back behind the storm either late Tuesday or early Wednesday to be in New York Harbor about noon Friday.










.

Still in Bermuda

Last night we were supposed to leave, pending one last weather report. It showed 18 ft waves 100 miles off of N.Y. That means they would have been 20 -30 ft in the gulf stream. While Bob and I might be a little gutsy we are not crazy. It looks like we are going to have to wait until Tuesday night or Wednesday morning to leave. That should put us in at about noon Friday, in New York Harbor.

While the people in Bermuda have treated us like royalty, we were even given honorary membership in the St. George's Boat and Dingy Club, this trip would not be possible without the four greatest people in my life: Anne, my wife, Phillip, Heath, and Brittany, my children. Anne has gone way beyond any expectations to help me. She even volunteered to accompany me across the Atlantic when my first mate, had to back out due to unforeseen circumstances. That is a pretty brave woman.

As far as we can tell no one has ever made the crossing in a single engine flats boat before. Most of the men, we met in Bermuda says they would not do it. (They have more common sense than I.) Most of them have been across in much larger boats. All kinds of Government officials, even the American Consolate have been trying to talk us out of going on to N.Y. Even the newspaper reported that the Bermuda Radio strongly recommends we abandon the rest of the trip. Some even called Bob and I crazy idiots, I still call it proof. After they realized we were not going to be persuaded to cancel they became very helpful in planning the rest of the trip.

I know in the beginning she was rightfully sceptical as any responsible woman would be when her crazy husband took much needed money and started a boat company. She has put up with me for five years while we struggled to get this started.

Lord Willing we shall arrive in N.Y. Harbor on Friday.

Heading for NY

We have been here in Bermuda for two days waiting out the front. It appears that we will be able to leave today, Friday, May 4, late afternoon. We added a new wave brake to the front of our console in case we have to go through waves bigger than 10 ft. We have already been through a few 8 ft waves. The wave brake is absolutely perfect in what we wanted. The wonderful folks at Ocean Sales St. Georges Bermuda built it for us. They did an excellent job on short notice. www.oceansails.com If you are ever in Bermuda see Steve, Suzanne, and Rod. The stay has been fun. The people excellent, and very helpful. Everything here is a little expensive. Our Suzuki 115 four stroke has run great.

We have also met two different people in Bermuda who have expressed an interest in investing in Dream Boats, and two seperate individuals who have expressed an interest in opening up dealerships in Bermuda, and one in N.C. Details will have to be worked out.

The people at Bermuda, Radio have agreed to track us back to N.Y. on radar. We will be reporting to them Six hours. The Royal Gazette has updated articles if you want to read them.