Two brothers, Ralph and Robert Brown have crossed the Atlantic Ocean in a Suzuki powered 21′ Flats Boat. This voyage started on June 27, 2009 with the goal to set a new “Guinness Book World Records” for a Trans-Atlantic crossing and to raise money for “Wounded Heroes” from the USA, UK and Canada. Ralph and Robert started their adventure from Tampa, Florida, and continued up the US east coast, to Canada, Greenland, Iceland and Scotland.
While experts said it was impossible to survive the 7000 plus miles of open ocean, the Brown brothers stepped off their tiny open fishing boat at 6:40 pm, London Time, Friday, September 4, 2009 at the Limehouse Marina in downtown London making world history by setting several world records; The Smallest Powerboat to Cross The Atlantic, The First Flats Boat to Cross the Atlantic, and the Longest Ocean Voyage in a Flats Boat.
Their open fishing boat separates itself from other smaller boats that have made the crossing is that it does not have a cabin, a keel, a sail, or an escort and it had to carry its own fuel. This boat literally runs in less than an incredible four inches of water, including the motor.
The brother’s remained completely exposed to the elements for the entire voyage and did not have a keel to right the boat if it were to flip. Ralph and Bob Brown survived being run over by an iceberg in Greenland, almost running out of fuel hundreds of miles from shore, refusing to be rescued three separate times, surviving massive waves from the remnants of two hurricanes, being slammed into rocks by gale force winds, running out of money and many other amazing events. Although the boat retained seaworthiness, some of the attached equipment has literally fallen apart from the impact of an estimated 140,000 slams during the crossing.
Their final destination, some 8312 miles from Sarasota FL., was the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, near Frankfurt, Germany. The “I Am Second” voyage team attended a reception with the wounded heroes that have been evacuated from Iraq and Afghanistan.
This is not the first time Ralph and Robert Brown have set a World Record. In 2007, their 1400 mile adventure started from North Carolina to Bermuda and back to NYC. They were awarded the “Longest Non Stop Ocean Voyage in a Flats Boat” Since the two are very familiar with their 21′ Deamboats Intruder, decided to use the same boat and power, a single Suzuki DF115 Outboard motor for their second Ocean Voyage World Record.
To read more about Ralph and Robert Brown, please visit their web site at www.crosstheatlantic.com
