A CHARITY round-the-UK nautical challenge had to be abandoned off the Vale coast after Barry coastguards were alerted to a pedal boat seemingly in distress.

Kieran Sweeney, 31, set off from Cardiff Bay in a bid to circumnavigate 1800 sea miles around Great Britain, but just a few hours after the challenge Barry and Milford Haven Coastguards insisted he return to shore – scuppering his ground-breaking bid.

Mr Sweeney, who is raising funds for Sully-based Ty Hafan children’s hospice and the Children’s Heart Unit at Newcastle’s Freeman Hospital, explained he had been having a rest, and there wasn’t a problem.

He said to get assisted or return to shore would halt the challenge, but agreed to be towed in.

Mr Sweeney of Whitehaven, said: “I was making good time. I’d been pedalling for two-and-a-half hours which is not an easy feat so I was having a rest. I made some calls and the next thing I know I’ve got the RNLI next to me and I spoke to them.”

He said he was unable to communicate with the coastguard to inform them of hi sintention to stop,

He explained he’s had no VHF problems in Cardiff Bay, but the system had dropped out.

“We had discussions,” he said. “I contacted Milford Haven and said: ‘I’m perfectly fine’. They’d had a call probably around 9pm from a member of public. I explained if I came to shore that the record was over and I’d have to start again, but they said they’d prefer me to come ashore. I wanted to set a standard – it’s never been done before.”

Mr Sweeney his boat - The SweeneyPro vessel ‘Oar-Killa’ wasn’t designed to be towed so suffered some damage on its way back.

The eight-metre boat, complete with a 21” TV, is now undergoing maintenance while docked in Cardiff Bay.

Mr Sweeney plans to resume his attempt this weekend.

He added: “I don’t like open water, but I don’t mind putting my life on the line if it helps someone else.”

A Barry Coastguard spokesman said: “We were paged to attend an 8m long pedal powered boat that had suffered mechanical failure whilst on a record breaking attempt to circumnavigate Great Britain.

The vessel was brought into Barry Harbour by Penarth ILB.

We wish the skipper the very best of luck when he continues his challenge after making the necessary repairs.”

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