American Sailor Rescued 9 Times in 7 Months; Says He's Close to Quitting

A 71-year-old American sailor trying to cross the Atlantic has admitted he is on the verge of finally quitting his voyage after having been rescued nine times in seven months, NBC News reported. 

Steve Shapiro, a screenwriter from Pebble Beach, California, bought the 44-foot "Nora" in Norway in July and planned to sail to Maine by August. 

But Shapiro, along with his sailing partner Bob Weise, has required help from emergency crews in Norway, Denmark, Ireland and the U.K., where the press dubbed the pair "Captain Calamities."

Still stranded in Hayle, a harbor in southwest England, Shapiro told NBC News it will cost $14,000 to repair his boat and claimed he is close to quitting.

"I wanted a playboy boat that I could invite people out in and have a good time," he said on Wednesday. "This boat is more of a workman's vessel, a serious explorer's boat — and I'm not a serious explorer, I'm more of a playboy."

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