The text is a transcript of a conversation between four friends, Jeremy, Hammond, Richard, and James, who are attempting to cross the English Channel in a modified vehicle. The friends have each built their own unique vessel, with Jeremy using a pick-up truck with a large outboard engine, Hammond using a van with a flying bridge, and Richard using a cabin cruiser with a Volkswagen engine.
Their journey is fraught with challenges and mishaps. Jeremy's pick-up truck rolls over, and he welds the doors more thoroughly to prevent this from happening again. Hammond's van has a flying bridge, which is not entirely functional. Richard's cabin cruiser has a propeller attached to the Volkswagen's rear-mounted engine, which he uses to move the vehicle in the water.
Their attempts to cross the Channel are thwarted by various issues, including waves, wind, and the need to avoid other boats. Despite these difficulties, they persist in their attempts, with Richard eventually managing to cross the Channel in a modified vehicle.
The text ends with the friends celebrating their success, despite the challenges they faced.
1. Jeremy was the first to arrive at the scene.
2. Jeremy's original plan was to attach a large outboard engine to the back of a pick-up truck.
3. However, the truck rolled over, causing water to enter the cockpit and slosh from side to side.
4. To prevent this from happening again, Jeremy welded the doors more thoroughly.
5. He also fitted large drums in the back of the truck, which he lowered when he went into the water.
6. This setup was intended to provide more stability, similar to stabilizers on a child's bicycle.
7. Hammond arrived next and had parked a van on top of a boat.
8. The van was equipped with a flying bridge and a cabin for the girls.
9. Richard had a cabin cruiser principle and fixed a propeller to the Volkswagen's rear-mounted engine to make it move in the water.
10. Richard's hull was made of fibreglass and had holes for the wheels.
11. Richard had sealed these holes around the arch with foam.
12. James arrived later, driving the same car that had worked before.
13. James had a collapsible mast, a spinnaker, and a keel-come-centre-board.
14. James was given the challenge to drive to Dover and then cross the Channel to France.
15. Jeremy was powered by an outboard he'd bought from Jeremy for a million pounds, and James was his cabin boy.
16. Jeremy's million-pound outboard wasn't exactly gutsy, so he decided to go fast to keep up with the maritime code.
17. Jeremy's boat was riding the waves like a twig.
18. Richard's cabin cruiser had a lot of water in it.
19. Richard was disappointed as he thought they were going to make it.
20. Jeremy came back to pick them up and announced they'd have to go back to Dover.
21. Jeremy's reasoning became clear when they lined up for their fourth attempt: Richard Branson had set a record for crossing the Channel in an amphibious car in one hour, 40 minutes, and six seconds.
22. Jeremy decided to go for it and give it a shot.
23. They failed to meet Branson's record, but they were only 20 yards from France.
24. They had to get up the boat ramp, but that meant going through the breakers.
25. James managed to get a rope around the front bumper and they went for it.
26. They were on the rocks, but they managed to get up the beach.
27. The pick-up had landed.