A 32-year-old engineer from Lincolnshire is planning a feat that nobody has done before: cross the English Channel by sailing an inflatable castle.
James Dooley, who hails from Quadring village, aims to try the daring stunt this summer to raise at least £50,000 for the Jerry Green Dog Rescue Centre at Algarkirk, the Lincolnshire Echo reported.
However, one major thing might stop Dooley from setting a new record – he still lacks insurance.
Without corporate sponsors to help cover the public liability insurance cost, Dooley said he won’t be able to accomplish the “most daring British nautical endeavour since Trafalgar.”
"Tallington Lakes is really excited about what I've planned and is doing everything it can to help, but it can't allow me onto the water for tests without any insurance,” the Lincolnshire Echo quoted Dooley as saying.
"This wasn't something I'd factored in and I still don't know exactly how much it's going to cost although I've got a few people looking into it for me,” he added.
Dooley said he has spent more than £3,000 of his own money to buy a giraffe-shaped inflatable castle, which he has named “Jerry the Gi-raft.”
"I'd love to get some corporate sponsors involved and I'd be more than happy to have their logos and details displayed on the castle,” he told the Lincolnshire Echo.
According to the report, Dooley had built his own machines in the past. He had made a giant three-wheeled bicycle and modified a cast iron tub with concrete floatation for a bath race.
"Most people are amused when they hear what I'm planning to do,” he said. “Those that know me know I'm quite adventurous and are quite supportive; others laugh and say they think I'm going to die if I attempt this; it certainly gets a reaction.”
