TPI July 2011

news business & market

Crew of adventurers cross the Atlantic on raft of pipes

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.”

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

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

WaterAid – UK www.wateraid.org

An-Tiki – UK www.an-tiki.com

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July 2011 Tube Products International