On the Irish Shores you’ll find the Isle of Erin, a place that’s full of wonders and mysteries. It’s also a land where stories of leprechauns and fairies spread like wildfire. In fact, folks living in this realm are used to hearing all sorts of otherworldly tales. But to most skeptics, these are just stories. Nothing more. But there are some things that can’t be explained away so easily, like when a mysterious object approached the Isle of Erin. There was no way to know what it was or where it came from. But as word of the object continued to grow, it attracted the attention of the Coast Guard, who began an investigation into the origin of this mysterious discovery.The sky was gray, and the area was covered in a heavy mist, but folks were mesmerized by the mysterious object that was floating offshore. It seemed as though it would crash with the rocky terrain of the eastern shores.
Meanwhile, the object was tossed helplessly by the powerful waves that came ashore. People weren’t sure if the object was manned or not. But it didn’t seem to be putting up much of a fight against the tides.
At first glance, it looked like some kind of a ship. But most vessels didn’t look as flat as this one was. This begged the question; what kind of ship was this? Could it have come from outer space or was it some kind of secret military ship?
The Coast Guard was intrigued by the mysterious object that had washed ashore, so they decided to get a better look at what was inside. Initially, it didn’t seem to be a boat at all. In fact, if anything, it looked more like a caravan.
The boat was big enough for someone to live in it, but oddly enough, the vessel was empty. In fact, there was no evidence, not even personal belongings, that suggested that anyone had ever lived aboard the ship.
The ship, if you could call it that, didn’t appear to be sea-worthy, at all. And yet, it somehow managed to float all the way to the coastline. But where had it come from? The origin point of this vessel was unknown.
The exterior had taken quite a beating, but some of the solar panels were still in one piece. Others had probably washed away. The windows were smashed, and broken boards littered the interior of the vessel.
Had there been any passengers? If so, how many? Were they caught in some terrible storm? Had they gone overboard or had they abandoned ship? And who was the vessel’s original owner? Then they saw something written on the interior walls.
The message on the wall had a name. It was Rick Small. Authorities were hopeful that this name was connected to the owner of this oddly designed vessel. All they had to do was figure out who this person was and if he was still alive.
It seemed that Rick Small wasn’t from Ireland. Evidence suggested that he was from Canada’s eastern coast, possibly somewhere in the vicinity of Newfoundland. But if the boat originated from Canada, how did it end up in Ireland?
He loved using solar panels to power all sorts of weird contraptions, and that included a solar-powered bike. He was hoping that his unconventional efforts would help promote the use of alternative energy sources.
He intended to take his solar bike on a ride from British Columbia, which is on the west coast of Canada, to the island of Newfoundland, which is located on the east coast. But this wasn’t exactly a weekend trip.
His solar bike’s top cruising speed was 17 miles per hour. He also had to rely on the sun to power his vehicle. So, on cloudy or rainy days, Small rode until his bike’s solar energy reserves were tapped out.
He decided he wanted to build a boat that was fully powered by solar energy. Not only would the boat promote clean alternative energy, but it would also provide a livable vessel he could take out for a ride at sea.
He used lumber and polystyrene, a general-purpose plastic, to build his boat from scratch. By the time he was done putting everything together, he had a solar-powered vessel that was 20 feet long and sea-worthy.
They warned him not to try his solar-powered water adventure because his ship wasn’t designed to handle long-term deep ocean conditions. Small heeded their words and decided to give his boat a different purpose.
“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.” The intention was heartfelt, but the boat’s final destination was unexpected.
It’s possible that the boat was detached from the dock during a powerful storm. From that point, it became a derelict vessel that drifted for over 2,000 miles, until it finally made it all the way to Ireland.
Locals and tourists are now constantly paying the solar-powered boat a visit. But many of them are shocked that this rickety barge was able to travel all the way across the Atlantic and remain somewhat intact.
Unfortunately, Small is living off the grid, so no one has had any luck in finding him. However, authorities are hopeful that word will get to him about his boat’s incredible journey. Maybe then, he’ll head to the mystic Irish land and claim what’s his.
