After 66 days at sea, Anthony Smith and a crew of three friends arrived in St. Maarten on a voyage from the Canary Islands on the raft “An-Tiki“. Smith celebrated his 85th birthday during the voyage. The crew of the An-Tiki included John Russell, David Hildred, and Andrew Bainbridge.
Sailor, 85, crosses Atlantic on raft with friends
“Some people say it was mad,” he told The Associated Press when he arrived in St. Maarten Wednesday. “But it wasn’t mad. What else do you do when you get on in years?”
The jovial crew said they wanted to raise awareness about the environment and to prove the elderly are capable of embarking on adventures that are mistakenly considered dangerous.
They also aimed to raise money for the British nonprofit group WaterAid, which provides potable water to impoverished communities.
fantastic story. i love it! dylan thomas wrote it already: “Do not go gentle into that good night. Old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of the light.” May we too rave and burn with challenges . . .