Wednesday, August 19, 2009

In Port - Reykjavík

Tied up next to us in Reykjavik were Ralph & Robert Brown, two brothers enroute from Tampa to Germany in a 21' Flats Boat. (ON the boat may be more accurate as there is no interior.) They strongly recommended Tasiilaq Greenland, their previous stop.

From the Brown's website: A shallow water boat crossing the Atlantic Ocean, captained by Ralph and Robert Brown, will set multiple Guinness Book World Records! A US Marine (Former), Ralph's idea is to “Do More Than Just Say Thanks” for our wounded veterans.This voyage keeps a 29 year old solemn promise Ralph made to honor fallen heroes from the ill fated 1980 EAGLE CLAW mission (pdf) to rescue the US Embassy hostages in Iran in 1980. Ralph, as a United States Marine, was on the original roster to go, but a different unit was called up, and Sgt. John Harvey, Cpl. George Holmes, and SSgt. Dewey Johnson lost their lives.Setting out on June 27, 2009, the goals of this heroic adventure are to set new Guinness Book World records for a Transatlantic crossing and to raise money for Wounded Heroes from the USA, UK and Canada.Two brothers, Ralph and Robert Brown (Author of the book “Bermuda Suicide Challenge in a Flats Boat”) are crossing the Atlantic Ocean in a Dreamboats Intruder 21' Flats Boat - a small, open fishing boat (no cabin, no keel) that is able to operate in two inches of water. Their first World Record was an Atlantic Trip was from North Carolina to Bermuda and back to NYC in 2007. The Dreamboats Intruder-21, powered by ultra reliable Interstate Batteries and a single Suzuki outboard, will be the first Flats Boat (and the smallest power boat) to cross the Atlantic Ocean. This voyage will take them from Tampa, Florida, up the US east coast, to Canada, Greenland, Iceland, London England and ending at the /Landstuhl Regional Medical Center/.near Frankfurt, Germany. The "I Am Second" voyage team is planning a reception with the wounded heroes being evacuated from our current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Tasiilaq has approximately 1,700 inhabitants. It is the largest town in East Greenland. The town has a picturesque setting in a fjord surrounded by high mountains and bisected by a small river.The flower valley behind the town has a unique flora and is a popular area for both short and long hikes. Tasiilaq is on the large island of Ammassalik, which is situated less than 100 km south of the Arctic circle.

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