By Press Release
May 2022 marked the 50th-anniversary of Dave Howlett’s sponsored row from Guernsey to the Isle of Wight.
Just a year after that epic voyage, on June 5, 1973, Dave set off again, this time from Shanklin, intent on rowing back to St Peter Port, once again raising money for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI). He covered around 70 of the 95-miles before rough seas in the Alderney Race, caused him to abandon his home-built boat, Tenacity of Wight.
Fifty years after Dave’s second adventure, new celebration philatelic covers for collectors have made the journey between Sandown & Shanklin Independent Lifeboat Station, and Alderney’s RNLI shop in Braye Harbour. They were carried by retired transport planner, Bob White, who travelled in significantly more comfort than Dave, including by Condor Ferry to the Channel Islands.
All funds raised will be shared equally between Independent Lifeboats and RNLI lifesavers. Dave’s nephew, Mark Birch, is now a member of the Sandown & Shanklin Independent Lifeboat crew, showing that saving lives at sea runs in the family. His Uncle Dave lives in quiet retirement on the mainland.
If you would like to make a donation to mark Dave’s bravery and help save lives at sea, visit iow.life/davehowlett50.
Pictured: Supporters including Mark Birch and Bob White (3rd and 4th from left)
