A boater who took his craft out for a spin ended up doing literally that after it got stuck in reverse and ended up circling around and around St. George?s harbour yesterday afternoon.

Amazed onlooker and town mayor E. Michael Jones phoned Harbour Radio for help after spotting the bizarre spectacle from his nearby home.

He said the man gamely tried to steer the 20-foot motor boat away from trouble by putting an oar in during a tiring ordeal lasting up to 20 minutes.

Mr. Jones said: ?He will sleep well tonight ? he must have been exhausted. I couldn?t work out why he didn?t turn the engine off but it turned out fine.?

Harbour Radio sent a pilot boat to help but the stricken owner had managed to get his craft to shore by time he was reached.

A spokesman said: ?He knew he had a problem ? he was trying to get the boat to shore to haul it out.?