Forty-three cow hides are all that separates from the Atlantic waters a French-based crew sailing around Ireland in a replica fifth-century currach in a trip intended to retrace the journeys of early Christian monks.
The voyage, currently off the north-west coast, is the culmination of three years of work by the adventure-seeking crew of the Saint Efflam, who originally came to Ireland from Brittany to learn how to build the boat.
The 43 cow hides used in the 30-ft currach were bought from one of the oldest tanneries in Europe, near Tours in France, where traditional methods are used to cure the leather in a process taking up to four years.
With just two sails and eight oars to propel them, the international crew have been learning to cope with the vagaries of Irish weather since they set sail from Oban in Scotland on June 21st.
They left Killala in north Mayo yesterday morning under clear blue skies, but earlier in the trip were forced to spend four days on Tory Island because conditions were so bad.
On Monday they sailed from Teelin in south-west Donegal to Killala, stopping off on the island of Inishmurray to visit the ancient monastic settlements. If the weather permits they hope to sail all the way back to Brittany and complete their voyage by the end of August.
One crew member, Mr Julian Stone, a Breton, explained that the motivation behind the trip was an interest in Celtic history and a search for "a great adventure". While they had GPS for navigation, he said, they also liked to talk to locals and fishermen as they went for advice on the best route to take.
A total of 13 people are involved, some travelling by van on land, while others follow the Saint Efflam in a Zodiac for safety reasons. Padraig O Duinnin from the Cork group, Meitheal Mara, who taught the crew how to build a currach, said he had no worries about the safety of the vessel. "It is an amazing boat. It is very, very strong and meant for coastal work," he said.
The voyage is sponsored by the local authority in Brittany and a number of private companies, including the Irish shoe manufacturer, Dubarry. Anybody who would like to contact the crew can call Gabrielle or Julian on 00-33-66-2429123.