Two American sailors, Bob Weise and Steve Shapiro, both 71, have been attempting to sail across the Atlantic from Norway to Maine in a 40′ gaff rigged sloop named Nora. They began the attempt last July and it has not gone well. In the last seven months, they have been rescued nine times. In this case, persistence is not a virtue.

Now, even veteran yachtsman is saying enough is enough. In a recent BBC interview, Sir Robin said, “This is no longer a joke. It costs between £6,000 and £8,000 every time a lifeboat is launched. These guys are costing the RNLI a fortune. They need to frankly pack it in or, I hate to say it, get the hell out of our waters.”

A brief record of their rescue calls, thus far:

• Two rescues by Norwegian and Danish teams, once when the propeller shaft was damaged and the second time when the battery failed
• Two rescues in Scotland after running aground and having more propeller problems
• They were assisted in Northern Ireland when the vessel ran aground
• They called a lifeboat when the boat ran aground in the Irish Republic
• Two rescues in Cornwall, after a mechanical problem and when one of the men got into difficulty rowing to the yacht
• The ninth callout was made when the boat tipped over causing a fire on board in Hayle Harbour, Cornwall

As reported by the BBC: Peter Haddock, Hayle harbourmaster, said he was worried about the sailors’ safety and that of emergency services. Mr Haddock said he raised the alarm on Tuesday after seeing smoke coming from the vessel’s forward hatch and described the pair as a “catastrophe waiting to happen”.

Unfortunately, the two hapless US sailors plan to keep trying to continue their bumbling voyage.

Duo Attempting to Sail From Norway to Maine Speak Out

Thanks to Alaric Bond for contributing to this post.