In 1986, at the age of 60, Pat Lawless solo sailed across the Atlantic to Newport, Rhode Island in a twenty eight foot yacht “Iniscealtra”.
The following year, in 1987, at the age of 61 he sailed from Newport back to Limerick.
Two years later, 1989, at the age of 62, he set off from Ireland with a dream to sail around the world. He was rescued 1,200 miles west of Capetown by a Norwegian freight ship, having suffered storm damage, and suffered the loss of his Iniscealtra.
The following year, 1990, at the age of 63, in a thirty two foot yacht “Loon” he set off on a second attempt to sail around the world. This attempt was abandoned in Brazil after storm damage.
Pat had the boat shipped back to Ireland the following year and attempted to sail around the world for a third time at the age of 67 in 1993. Three years and three days later at the age of seventy, on the 23rd July of 1996, Pat successfully sailed back to Limerick having lived and fulfilled his life-long dream.
Pat had many sponsors which helped him fulfil his lifelong dreams. His biggest sponsor was his wife Nancy. Tony O’Mara, the Limerick Leader and John Hunt were also great sponsors.
Pat thoroughly enjoyed the rest of his life back on land with his family and friends until he passed away in his sleep on the 20th of August 2010 at the age of 84. His funeral was held in St Joseph's Church, O’Connell Avenue, Limerick and he is buried in Dunquin, County Kerry overlooking the Atlantic Ocean that he so loved.
Pat wrote a book of around 350 pages based on his sea journals. However he was unable to secure a publisher. Several years later a publisher wanted to publish the book however the book couldn’t be found unfortunately. We spent the past 5 years looking for the book with no success.
Now Pat’s sea journals, camcorder recordings at sea, photographs, interviews, newspaper articles and correspondence etc. are being placed on this website to give the public access to the voyages and mind of quite an intrepid sailor.
We hope this website could help us find the book, celebrate his 20th anniversary of sailing around the world and also serve as a memory to his achievements.
