A quirky Ontario man's custom-built house boat has somehow found its way across the Atlantic to Ireland, where it was found on a beach with a message scrawled inside.
The Irish Coast Guard says it's now in possession of a battered but otherwise intact house boat, made from wood, solar panels and glass, which was found on a beach along the country's western shoreline. A hiker spotted the boat on Sunday in County Mayo, near the village of Ballyglass. The
The camper-sized, ark-like boat appears to have belonged to eco-adventurer Rick Small, of Thunder Bay, Ont., according to the message written inside.
"I, Rick Small, donate this structure to a homeless youth, to give them a better life that (sic) Newfoundlanders choose not to do," the message says. "No rent, no mortgage, no hydro."
Small reportedly built the boat in Newfoundland and gave it away. However, it's unclear why it washed out to sea, or how it survived the Atlantic crossing.
News reports show Small has set out on a number of long-distance e-bike rides in recent years, using solar power to fuel his treks. His most recent journey was in 2015, when he left B.C. and set out to reach Newfoundland.
It's unclear where Small is now, but judging by the note in the boat, he likely was not on board when it was swept out to sea.
