Small's whereabouts are a mystery and he has rarely been seen since the bike ride

Residents in Newfoundland, Canada, said they saw the boat there in 2015

A note in his name said the houseboat was destined to a homeless youth

A mysterious houseboat has washed up on the coast of a tiny Irish village, seemingly all the way from Canada.

The caravan-sized boat, which is believed to be solar-powered, emerged on Sunday in Ballyglass, according to the village's coast guard unit. There was no one on board.

But a note written inside the boat said it belonged to Rick Small, a Canadian adventurer who last year cycled across the country on a solar-powered bike. The message referenced Newfoundland, an island off the east Canadian coast.

'I, Rick Small, donate this structure to a homeless youth to give them a better life that Newfoundlanders choose not to do! No rent, no mortgage, no hydro,' the note read.

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A houseboat (pictured) washed up Sunday on the coast of Ballyglass, a tiny village in Ireland - seemingly all the way from Canada

A note inside the boat read: 'I, Rick Small, donate this structure to a homeless youth to give them a better life that Newfoundlanders choose not to do! No rent, no mortgage, no hydro'

Small (pictured), whose name was written inside the boat, is a Canadian adventurer who biked more than 4,000 miles across the country last year

Mystery also surrounds the whereabouts of Mr Small as it is unclear where he is currently living and he has yet to comment on the boat.

Several residents near where he was living in Newfoundland say he has rarely been seen since completing his bike ride.

When he was spotted, he would be working on the boat but the Irish coastguard do not believe he tried to cross the Atlantic on the vessel.

However, photos shared by the Ballyglass Coast Guard show the boat on the Irish coast, with the handwritten note inside.

Several Canadian residents have spoken out after seeing photos of the houseboat on Facebook, saying they had spotted it last year in Newfoundland, Ballyglass Coast Guard officer Michael Hurst told ABC News.

One resident of Newfoundland even sent a photo of the houseboat stationed off the island in September last year.

That resident, Timothy Legrow, said he had spoken to Small on the day he saw the boat.

Several Canadian residents reached out after seeing photos of the houseboat on Facebook, saying they had spotted it last year in Newfoundland. The boat is pictured being retrieved

The houseboat (pictured) had solar panels on its roof and seemed habitable, according to a Ballyglass coast guard officer

'He told me his plan was to take the boat and prove that solar power could sail it across the Atlantic,' Legrow told ABC News. 'I never saw him again after that.'

'From the message inside, he likely abandoned that idea and just left the boat on a dock for homeless people. It probably broke off and somehow made its way across the ocean to here,' Hurst said.

The houseboat, Hurst told the BBC, had solar panels on its roof and seemed habitable.

Small previously rode more than 4,000 miles across Canada on a solar-powered bike. He told CBC at the time: 'It's been a blast. It's been really easy.'