An Irish sailor who came to Dunedin down in the dumps has left hoping to return after more than 100 people turned out to farewell him yesterday.
Enda O’Coineen says Dunedin’s warm hospitality is a major reason why he did not give up his dream to be the first Irishman to single-handedly sail around the world.
That hospitality was in full force yesterday as more than one hundred people, including a folk band, bade him and his yacht, Kilcullen Voyager, farewell at Steamer Basin yesterday morning.
Mr O’Coineen said he was close to giving up after a strong squall broke his yacht’s 30m mast 180 nautical miles southeast of Dunedin and he had to be towed into Otago Harbour.
"I really was on the verge of dropping out.‘‘I was pretty down in the dumps coming in."
Since his arrival Dunedin residents had stepped up to help, including plumber Blair McNab, who gave him a 9m mast which was jury-rigged to his yacht, and now his dream was back on track.
He had made friends in Dunedin and it was emotional saying goodbye.
"I don’t want to go."
He said he hoped to return to the city which had given him so much.
"I’d like to bring my family back."
The city reminded him of home. "The similarity between here and Ireland is uncanny."
If the jury-rigged mast got his yacht to Auckland, it was hoped someone in the city would have the skills to fit a larger replacement mast, so he could finish the second half of his journey as planned. He was out of the Vendee Globe endurance solo race, but still had the chance to be the first Irishman to sail solo around the world.
