User:Dhoruba/attig

Donald Attig (born February 2, 1936) is an inventor, boat designer, entrepreneur, yachtsman and adventurer.

Biography
Donald Attig has been involved in the establishment of three records for the navigation of various Irish waterways. Attig was born in Pontiac, Illinois on Feb.2, 1936, attended St. Mary’s Grade School, Pontiac Township High School, and Flanagan, Illinois High School. He has held multiple occupations, including inventor, plastics engineer, boat designer.

In 1968, he became the first person to build a 3 mast sailing ship in the US under the Irish Flag from the keel up. The Tern Schooner was built 60 miles from the nearest water that would float it and almost 2,000 miles by water from the sea it was designed to function in. For ten years Attig and his family lived and voyaged on the 3 mast sailing ship,. Attig skippered the vessel over 5,000 miles on rivers and the inland waterways system before putting it to sea. Attig eventually sailed with his wife and new born son to Ireland in 1977. Two of his five children were born, with his assistance, on the boat.

Records
Between the ages of 71 and 73, Attig he was involved in establishing various records for the navigation of Irish waterways.

Shannon Navigations
Attig holds two records for navigation of the entire length of the River Shannon from its source on Lough Allen. Both records involve being the first to make the transit in an engineless craft, first, as part of a two-man crew, and later in a solo navigation. To make the engineless transit from the start of the River Shannon at the Inishmagrath marker, on Lough Allen, in County Leitrim, to the end of Shannon at Killaloe, County Clare requires navigating with 33 bridges, 6 locks, and nine lakes. The challenges presented by these obstacles are magnified for engineless craft.

2007 Shannon Navigation
From June 27, 2007 until July 28, 2007, Attig was part of the crew on the first transit of the entirety of the River Shannon, the longest river in Ireland, on an engineless live-aboard boat, "Omar's River Bird." Attig attempted this feat alongside Jack Donovan, of Ballincollig, County Cork, who was age 60 and suffering from Multiple Sclerosis at the time of the attempt.

The attempt required the pair to row over 90 percent of the distance traveled, often in a zig-zag pattern, owing to the wind resistance generated by the large flat shape of their boat, which weighed over one ton including its gear. At the conclusion of their journey, the pair had traveled over 268 mi.

2008 Solo Shannon Navigation
In 2008, Attig conducted a single-handed transit of the entire River Shannon to the Seaport of Foynes, County Limerick, again aboard "Omar's River Bird." The attempt began on June 26, 2008 and concluded in the early morning on August 16, 2008 at the Seaport of Foynes. Attig was 72 years of age at the conclusion of the navigation.

2009 Solo Erne Navigation
In 2009, Attig became the first person to transit the entire River Erne in an engineless live-aboard boat. This attempt was also conducted aboard "Omar's River Bird."

The navigation began at Belturbet, County Cavan on August 6, 2009 when HE Priscilla Jana officially launched "Omar’s River Bird" into the River Erne at the Dunking Pool Jetty. At the conclusion of the attempt, Attig was presented a Certificate of Recognition from Dr. W.G. O’Hare, Ambassador to HRH Prince of Wales for Corporate Responsibility Northern Ireland. . During the attempt, Attig traveled over [need a figure] miles.

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While still in his twenties Attig retired the first time to carry out a record setting voyage in a power cruiser, which he designed and built at Feeney and Wrightam's Garage at the junction of route 66 and 116. Using it he became the first man from the area to make a water journey from Seneca, Illinois on the Illinois River to New Orleans the terminus of the Mississippi River. Other locals had failed in the attempt due a lack of reliable fuel docks. Several places Attig had to walk back and forth for miles with fuel cans to refuel the yacht. From New Orleans he moved around the Gulf Coast, stopping for a while in a remote and isolated Cajon bayou village. From there Attig crossed the Gulf of Mexico to St. Petersburg, Florida and lived cruised for a period on the yacht. He gave the Yacht to an old friend R.D."Buck" Wrightam of Clermont, Florida. Attig then returned to Illinois to start another company. Years previously, Wrightam gave Attig his first cruiser yacht ride on the Illinois River and started him on the path to the Benchmark Records he established in his 70's by suggesting that Attig might attempt the voyage from Seneca, Illinois to New Orleans.

Additional Benchmark records established include the total of miles transited in the combined efforts. A total of 600+ miles (960+kilometrs) over the bottom in the three contiguous years in an engineless live aboard boat. Also each record benchmark established over the three years has the additional claim of having a person over 70 involved in its establishment.

All three of the above Benchmark establishing efforts were witnessed by thousands of persons and recorded at length in the media and press. The members of the Inland Waterways Association of Ireland supported, followed and chronicled the efforts. In 2007 the Lough Derg branch of IWAI awarded the boat and crew honorary membership in their annual Lough Derg rally. In the same year, the IWAI Cruising Club formally welcomed the boat into Foynes harbor, as it returned after completing the Benchmark establishing efforts at Tarbert. The club also made the crew and boat officially part of the 2007 Killaloe to Killrush Cruise in Company. Details about those Benchmark record establishing efforts can be found at www.donattig.wordpress.com   this web site includes links to a RTÉ documentary segment from a Nationwide program aired on July 6, 2008, and a Fermanagh TV segment filmed Aug. 13, 2009.