On Saturday morning a local resident set out on a journey few would dare to consider.

Robert (Bobby) Doe started a solo trip from Bermuda to Newport on a boat that he designed and built himself.

During the three-day trip, Mr. Doe is hoping to both prove the sea-worthiness of his design and raise funds for the Lady Cubitt Compassionate Association, which helped him recover from a heart attack which he suffered last November.

LCCA loaned Mr. Doe money for both his surgery and an emergency air evacuation to the Lahey Clinic.

"Without their support, we would not have been able to cover the cost, and in all likelihood I would have died," he said.

After learning that the LCCA was having a difficult time operating because of patients not repaying their loans, Mr. Doe and his wife Fiona came to the decision to do something to help bring more attention to the organisation.

"He's up on his feet because a charity cared enough to pay for his surgery," said Mrs. Doe yesterday.

Mr. Doe, who has been designing boats since the 60s, only finished building this one last year after putting over 500 man-hours into the fibreglass mould alone.

"Most of my designs, I get a picture in my head and I build the picture," said Mr. Doe. "If it looks right it probably is right."

The boat, called the Huckleberry 18 is an 18-foot modified Bermuda dinghy, which means that it can be rowed or sailed, but for this trip Mr. Doe intends to exclusively use a four-stroke outboard engine.

While he hopes to start his voyage keeping to around ten-and-a-half knots, by the time he reaches Rhode Island he aims to be topping 14 knots.

Aiding him on his journey is the boat's equipped autopilot and solar-powered bilge, along with a SPOT satellite message system, which will give continual position updates.

He performed a 200-mile sea trial last October, but his heart attack set back his plans until now.

"This is the best small boat I've ever built," said Mr. Doe. "It's seaworthy, stable, fast, and extremely fuel efficient."

With this trip being the final test for his design, he hopes to demonstrate how fuel efficient a Bermudian dinghy can be, intending to make the 635-mile trip using less than 30 gallons of fuel.

"In one, all-day cruise from St. George's to Somerset and back, including a stop at Ely's Harbour, we used less than one gallon," Mr. Doe said.

"We want to prove that even with the economy, this is an affordable way to set out in the water," added Mrs. Doe.

Mr. Doe encourages anyone interested to make a donation to the LCCA directly.