[May 6] New York Harbor / About 7 years ago, Ralph
Brown began an earnest approach to boat building centered on the
concept of building a boat that could cruise the shallow waters
of Florida's Gulf coastal areas, as well as handle the rough blue
water seas to reach the middle Gulf fishing grounds. Since
the beginning of Dream
Boats, Inc. Brown has been passionate about his boat designs,
so passionate that he's attempting to prove that his latest boat,
the Intruder 21, is the World's most seaworthy flats boat.
Thus comes his daredevil publicity stunt: to take his 21-foot flats
boat on a 1,400-mile oceanic voyage.
A flats boat by definition is an open fishing
boat that can operate with the engine down in less than a foot of
water. This particular flats boat, the Intruder 21, can operate
in less than 6 inches and still handle a rough chop.
Ralph
Brown and his brother Bob, are also attempting to set a new world
record for the longest unescorted oceanic crossing in a flats boat.
So at 9:00 am, April 30th, the journey began.
The two brothers left from Atlantic Beach, North
Carolina with the plan to cross over to Bermuda, then continuing
on to New York Harbor, over 1,400 miles of open ocean.
Also on board the Intruder 21, is over 2000 pounds
of fuel, nearly 300 gallons, exposure suits, a satellite phone,
infrared video cameras, and an electric radio beacon that sends
out distress signals if it gets wet.
The Intruder 21 boat can be viewed in detail
at http://www.dreamboats.net/.
This is a super shallow running boat that can be configured as a
deck boat, or as a fishing boat often referred to as a flats boat.
After going to Bermuda the journey will then
take them on to New York Harbor, and dock at the Liberty State Park,
(Statue of Liberty State Park), in Jersey City, New Jersey at approximately
8:30 a.m., Sunday May 6th, Friday May 11, 2007.
LIVE UPDATE(S) from the official
Blog: ...Still in Bermuda Last night we were supposed
to leave, pending one last weather report. It showed 18 ft waves
100 miles off of N.Y. That means they would have been 20 -30 ft
in the gulf stream. While Bob and I might be a little gutsy we are
not crazy. It looks like we are going to have to wait until Tuesday
night or Wednesday morning to leave. That should put us in at
about noon Friday, in New York Harbor. ...(see Blog)
Since
the beginning of 
