A man who thought he was sailing around the British coastline was surprised to learn he had in fact been circling the Isle of Sheppey.
He had set out from Gillingham for Southampton but kept on sailing around the small island, off the coast of Kent, all day and night.
The aspiring sailor didn't realise until he ran out of fuel and had to call for assistance, reports the Daily Telegraph.
The man had bought the motor cruiser online and did not realise that it was not suitable for sea use as it only had a 20-litre fuel tank and a 20 horse power engine.
He was also using a road map to navigate, had no provisions on board and was making his way to Southampton with no navigation equipment.
He told his rescuers that because he could drive in his car to Southampton using a single tank of fuel, he thought only needed one tank of fuel for the vessel.
Lifeboat volunteer Tom Ware said: "Because he had no chart and he didn't even know what navigational charts were, his general principle was to keep the land on his right, except he didn't realise Sheppey was an Island.
"It took him a day and a half to get from Gillingham to where he ran out of fuel."
Coastguard Ian Goodwin said: "We passed on relevant safety advice and advised him that the best way to Southampton would be by train. However, he said he would get some fuel and get underway but asked us if he went left or right when he came out of the Swale."
It is unknown whether the man made it to Southampton.
He had set out from Gillingham for Southampton but kept on sailing around the small island, off the coast of Kent, all day and night.
The aspiring sailor didn't realise until he ran out of fuel and had to call for assistance, reports the Daily Telegraph.
The man had bought the motor cruiser online and did not realise that it was not suitable for sea use as it only had a 20-litre fuel tank and a 20 horse power engine.
He was also using a road map to navigate, had no provisions on board and was making his way to Southampton with no navigation equipment.
He told his rescuers that because he could drive in his car to Southampton using a single tank of fuel, he thought only needed one tank of fuel for the vessel.
Lifeboat volunteer Tom Ware said: "Because he had no chart and he didn't even know what navigational charts were, his general principle was to keep the land on his right, except he didn't realise Sheppey was an Island.
"It took him a day and a half to get from Gillingham to where he ran out of fuel."
Coastguard Ian Goodwin said: "We passed on relevant safety advice and advised him that the best way to Southampton would be by train. However, he said he would get some fuel and get underway but asked us if he went left or right when he came out of the Swale."
It is unknown whether the man made it to Southampton.
