Lisburn pensioner takes bath in Irish Sea
PENSIONER Mervyn Kinkead loves his bath so much he's planning to cross the Irish Sea to Scotland in it.
When an engineer friend came up with the madcap scheme to launch the bath – with stabilisers and an outboard motor – from Donaghadee and head east, the plucky 65-year-old Lisburn man agreed to give it a go and attempt to sail the vessel singlehandedly to Portpatrick.
Mervyn said: "It's all in aid of charity. I hope to make the trip as soon as possible, certainly by September at the latest, but a lot depends on weather conditions. I may be a bit mad, but hopefully I've got some sense too.
"We have tested the bath in ideal conditions and there is no doubt it can work. We've also applied to Guinness World Records to see if we can get our efforts recognised."
Even though his only real sailing experience so far is going out in an inflatable dinghy, Mervyn is looking forward to the challenge.
"My friend, who is an experienced sailor, will be following me in his boat and guiding me in the right direction. We will be taking all the necessary safety precautions and I am just hoping the big ferries stay well away.
"I'm looking forward to giving it a go. If anything goes wrong I will be able to swim to the boat but fingers crossed it should all be okay."
The two charities benefiting from Mervyn's endeavours are Marie Curie Cancer Care and the Water for Life project run by Friends in Action, a Christian charity that works in the West African state of Burkina Faso to provide people in villages with a safe, reliable source of clean water.
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Weather for Belfast
Monday 28 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 12 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 14 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: 13 C to 20 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: South
