Coastguard rescue bungling DIY hobbyists who built £9 boat for Easter Monday jolly
TWO bungling DIY enthusiasts who built a £9 boat for an Easter Monday jolly had to be rescued 200 metres out to sea.
The pair, both in their late twenties used eight loft insulation boards, plywood, wire coat hangers and laminate flooring to construct their craft, which they glued together with silicone adhesive.
Remarkably, they survived two fishing trips into the North Sea near Clacton-on-Sea, Essex before they ran into problems when their oars broke yesterday afternoon.
The pair were drifting out to sea, about 200 metres from Jaywick, Essex, when they called Thames Coastguard from a mobile phone.
Neither of the pair had life-jackets - and one of them could not swim.
Going to sea in a homemade boat is certainly one we've never seen before
RNLI volunteer Joff Strutt said they ran into trouble near Jaywick when the weather turned.
He said: "It was a bit of a project that went a little pear-shaped.
"They'd been out fishing when their oars snapped leaving them helpless.
He added: "It is very important that people use the correct equipment, including a seaworthy boat.
"The men are very lucky that they were found or things could have been a lot worse.
"Going to sea in a homemade boat is certainly one we've never seen before."
The men told lifeboat crew they had got the materials for free before paying £9 for the glue.
They agreed to the boat being destroyed.
The two men have been identified as Aaron Jones and his friend Jamie, who did not wish to reveal his surname.
