Offshore crews keeping lookout for toy ship in Atlantic

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A toy pirate ship launched by two young brothers in Aberdeenshire in may '17 has sailed the high seas first to Scandinavia, has set in november '17 off from Africa.

Ollie Ferguson, eight, and Harry, five, from Turriff, first launched their Playmobil ship from Peterhead at the end of May.

It sailed hundreds of miles to Denmark, where a family sent it on its way. It then made it to Sweden and Norway.

The boys launched the pirate ship as part of a bucket list of adventures they have put together.

The ship, named Adventure, needed some adaptations before it was ready to tackle the North Sea.



A counterweight was added to help it stay upright and it was filled it with polystyrene to help it stay afloat.

After trials in a swimming pool, they took it to the coast and launched it into the waves.

It carries a message asking anyone who finds the boat to launch Adventure back into the sea.

Ollie and Harry have drawn up a bucket list of adventures they want to complete
Their father, MacNeill Ferguson, said: "Everyone that has picked it up has been really kind and sent us photos and looked after it.

"People are really getting into the spirit of it.

"The boys have enjoyed it and every time we get a message telling us where it has landed we get on the computer and work out where it went, so they are tracking its progress on the map and it gives them an understanding of how big the world is."

'Over the moon'

He continued: "I was concerned that the currents along the coast would take it down the north east coast of Scotland, so I was over the moon when it made a beeline for Scandinavia.

"It reached Denmark and then Sweden, where it was picked up by a lady who was sailing her own boat and found it in a tree. She was really kind and remade the sails for it.

"Then it was picked up by a Norwegian conservation vessel."

The story attracted interest in the Norwegian media, and Adventure is now being taken aboard the Christian Radich, a Norwegian full-rigged ship.

It will carry the vessel down to Cape Verde and then launch it, giving it the chance to sail across the Atlantic.

The boys' father, MacNeill Ferguson, told the BBC Scotland news website: "The tracker pings a location twice a day, but with 27% of battery life left it needs to be recharged.

"The Stena Carron offshore vessel heard about her travels, they were quite close, and said they were excited, the 120 crew have been keeping an eye out.

"They said if any other vessels are in the area they will make contact with them.

"We cannot expect them to do too much for a toy boat.

"It's just a USB port, as long as she is floating and recharged she will be fine."

Ollie and Harry drew up a bucket list of adventures they want to complete
He added: "She recently took a dramatic turn due to currents and was heading towards the Caribbean."

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