By Isle of Wight Observer
Most humans are fairly dull and steady; others do extraordinary things and are truly inspirational. Last week I flew to Tenerife, and, on arrival, immediately left again, bound for San Sebastian, the port town of La Gomera. That meant catching my second ferry of the day. How did easyJet fly me as far as north Africa for half the sum Wightlink wanted to get me over to Lymington?
Having left our Island at 9am, by early evening I was dining alfresco in the heat of La Gomera. When you think about it, that’s remarkable – not just because of the distance involved, but because of the obstacles I’d overcome. First, that erratic IW ferry, then the painful drive to Gatwick, negotiating the M25 where – predictably – a lorry conked out at the A3 Wisley ‘improvement works’. It couldn’t have picked a worse spot, and as I sat there fretting about missing the flight, I began wondering why any of us bother going anywhere. Traffic jams can easily ruin your plans, and they’re now as predictable as above-inflation council tax rises.
When I’m gasping my final breaths, after thinking about my loved ones, if there’s still time I’ll focus on the things I definitely won’t miss. That will include council tax rises, my annual January HMRC payment, and all traffic jams!
I made this arduous journey not to ruin Greta Thunberg’s Christmas, but because I wanted to see three genuinely amazing Islanders off on the adventure of a lifetime. The Mermaid Atlantic team – Chris, Paul and Xav – are three exceptional people. Unaided and unassisted, these brave souls are currently rowing 3,000 miles across the Atlantic Ocean, hoping to make landfall in the West Indies sometime mid-January. Their tiny boat is just 21-feet long and has a little capsule at one end where they sleep in shifts. They’re making their own drinking water, eating from sachets and have a bucket for a bathroom. They’ll be seasick in huge seas, and sore in places no-one would want to be.
Already they’ve encountered some problems. First, their daggerboard failed; that’s the little fin thing under boats that make them less prone to capsize. Next, they spotted a ship ploughing headlong towards them. Their boat does have lights and other electronic navigation aids, but they instinctively knew they hadn’t been seen. The giant tanker certainly should have seen them up ahead – but clearly didn’t. With it bearing down on them fast, the boys eventually fired an emergency rocket flare and, just in the nick of time, it altered course and passed harmlessly just 75 metres away.
At that point most normal people who’d avoided being run down two days into their sea voyage, would question what exactly they were doing. Our heroes did no such thing because they’re committed to their mission. They want to raise awareness of marine pollution and the importance of seagrass and raise money for three environmental charities – Surfers against Sewage, the Hampshire & IW Wildlife Trust and the Seahorse Trust.
There are two kinds of people in life, those who believe in what they’re doing and those that don’t. If you’re trying to achieve anything at all worthwhile and depending on others, you need the right ones alongside you. Get that right, and even if you’re daft enough to row a miniscule boat 3,000 miles across an ocean, life should be plain sailing.
Having man-hugged each of the Mermaid boys goodbye in La Gomera, I’m fully invested in their project. You too can follow them on social media as ‘Mermaid Atlantic, the world’s toughest row’. I wish them and their incredibly supportive families a very Merry Christmas. Whatever your own dreams for 2024, I wish you the very best of the season too.
Pic: Me giving Mermaid Altlantic Rower, Chris Mannion, some welcome advice