WHILE there have been some odd things that have wasted up on Irish shores over the years, this ghost houseboat that landed on the Mayo Coast from Canada might just top them all.
Malin Head Coast Guard was alerted to the unusual sight at the weekend and tasked Ballyglass Coast Guard Unit to secure the vessel for removal from Cross Beach.
On board the vessel, a note was found from a man named Rick Small, and his intentions for the vessel.
The note from Rick Small, creator of the vessel. (Picture: Ballyglass Coast Guard/Facebook)"I, Rick Small, donate this structure to a homeless youth," it read, "to give them a better life that Newfoundlanders choose not to do!"
"No rent, no mortgage, no hydro," it added.
Under Ballyglass Coast Guard Unit's Facebook post, many Canadians have shared their photos of the craft as it drifted its way on the Canadian coast, and also offered an explanation as to how it ended up on the Irish beach.
Ted Perrin, who claims he knows the owner of the boat, said it was built out of "cheap lumber" sealed with tar and "stuffed" with insulation foam for buoyancy.
According to Mr Perrin, Rick Small also installed solar panels and powered the vessel with a small electric motor.
"He told us he was going to sail it home to British Columbia via the North West passage," Mr Perrin wrote on the Ballyglass Coast Guard Facebook page.
The distance between the boat's last sighting in Portugal Cove and Cross Beach in Ballyglass Co Mayo. (Picture: Google Maps)"He made it as far as Portugal Cove about 10nm from where he started," he added. "He lived in it most of last year and abandoned it on the beach in Portugal cove sometime over the winter.
"I'm amazed how far it drifted in such short time," he said. "I'm positive it was still in the cove in September."
The vessel was removed to dry land by Mayo County Council, Ballyglass Coast Guard and some local volunteers yesterday.
Do you know Rick Small? If so email [email protected] or call 0044 208 900 4354.
See More: Canada, Featured, House Boat, Irish, Rick Small
