July 2011 Tube Products International
13
news
business & market
Crew of adventurers cross
the Atlantic on raft of pipes
An-Tiki, a raft made of polyethylene pipes
and a pig shelter, and her intrepid crew of
four ‘mature’ adventurers including an
85-year-old grandfather from London,
have defied sceptics by successfully
crossing the Atlantic Ocean. Writer and
adventurer Anthony Smith and his three-
man crew – aged from 56 to 61 years old
– arrived at St Martin in the Caribbean,
having safely sailed 3,000 miles across
the second largest ocean in the world.
During their 66 days at sea the crew
battled bad weather, a broken rudder and
lumbers of freight boats sailing too close
for comfort. They also baked fresh bread
every day, studied plankton with their
on-board microscope and celebrated Mr
Smith’s 85
th
birthday with a chocolate
cake and a tin of pineapple chunks.
The crew have also raised thousands
of pounds for the international charity
WaterAid, which works with some of the
world’s poorest communities to improve
access to safe water, sanitation and
hygiene education.
Mr Smith, a formerBBCTomorrow’sWorld
presenter and science correspondent,
who developed the An-Tiki project, said,
“We are looking forward to eating fresh
food and enjoying some of life’s little
luxuries again. But the excitement is
tinged with some sadness as the arrival
means saying goodbye to our trusty
partner, the good raft An-Tiki, who has
so steadfastly looked after us on this
journey. We’ll also miss the incredible
sights and sounds of life at sea, sunrises
and sunsets, incredible wildlife, the
camaraderie and that special space and
solitude that ocean goers come to love.”
John Russell, 61, from Gloucestershire,
England, wrote on the An-Tiki blog: “I have
to admit that I did have some concerns
before setting out, but am really glad that
I came on the adventure, and it has been
absolutely mind-blowing and wonderful.
I cannot use enough superlatives, and
would not hesitate to do the same again.”
When they departed from the Canaries in
January, the team hoped to make it to the
Bahamas, but bad weather mid-Ocean
slowed progress and time constraints
meant they had to choose a new location
to complete their adventure.
The team hopes to raise £50,000 for
WaterAid. Rebecca Poyntz, events
fundraising manager, said, “We’re so
grateful to the crew of the An-Tiki for
their support, and for helping spread the
message of clean water and sanitation
across the globe. They have already raised
enough for WaterAid to transform the
lives of hundreds of people by improving
access to safe water, sanitation and
hygiene. Anthony and crew are keeping
the spirit of adventure alive.”
WaterAid
– UK
An-Tiki
– UK
