STEPHEN PULLINGER Coastguards were yesterday anxiously monitoring the progress of Viking sailor Erik Ramgren. The 66-year-old Swede, who left Yarmouth on Monday without stabilising rudders on his homemade catamaran, is still hoping to complete his dream voyage to the Caribbean via the Canaries.

STEPHEN PULLINGER

Coastguards were yesterday anxiously monitoring the progress of Viking sailor Erik Ramgren (pictured).

The 66-year-old Swede, who left Yarmouth on Monday without stabilising rudders on his homemade catamaran, is still hoping to complete his dream voyage to the Caribbean via the Canaries.

But the retired papermill worker - dubbed the new Captain Calamity after first being washed up with no radio or echo sounder on Scroby Sands, and then damaging his hull a second time after a benefactor paid for repairs - was not making swift progress yesterday.

At first light, 18 hours after he was towed out of Yarmouth under Haven Bridge, his 38ft craft Turbolaans Absolut could still be seen bobbing up and down anchored off Gorleston beach.

On Monday he had confessed to the EDP that without the stability of rudders, the journey would be "a big chance" and could be a catastrophe.

But yesterday, Erik was not answering his phone to anyone, including the coastguards.

Despite concerns for Erik's safety, coastguard watch manager Mario Siano said they could not stop a private individual putting to sea "even in a bathtub".