Sailor building boat in garage for Atlantic crossing

An amateur sailor is building his own boat at home in Co Wicklow, Ireland, to fulfil a lifelong dream of sailing solo across the Atlantic, according to RTÉ News.

Jim Schofield, 57, is assembling the 5.8m yacht in his garage in Blessington.

He is one of a number of sailors around the world who have taken on the “build at home” challenge.

If all goes to plan, they will compete against each other in a 3,600 mile race later this year.

Schofield says: “Since my early 20s, a single-handed transatlantic race has been on my bucket list. So when I saw this opportunity pop up, I knew I had run out of excuses. The time had come.”

Having paid €300 for building plans, Jim started assembling his plywood and epoxy boat last year.

“In many ways, it’s the perfect pandemic project. I’m locked in the shed, building a boat by myself. And when the time comes, I will get on the boat and sail away by myself,” he says. “It should be very seaworthy. The wood did come pre-cut but you have to decide how to put it together.”

The concept for the ClassGlobe 5.80 home-build, one-design mini racing boat project came from Australian adventurer Don McIntyre.

Launching the project last year, McIntyre said: “This is a boat for all sailors, young and old, who have a dream to sail oceans in small, fun, affordable and proven safe yachts. This is a little yacht with a big heart. Anyone can build it with simple tools and the human element is more important than the technology.”

Having extended his garage to accommodate his build, Schofield says: “I hope to have it in the water by May. I want to spend the summer playing around with it. Then I have to get it down to Portugal by October, to take part in a 600-mile practice race and prove that I can do it.”

Read the full story online.