Posted on 5th Jan
Mansfield transatlantic charity rowers George Nelson and Russ Davis have passed their fourth waypoint as they bid to row unsupported across the Atlantic Ocean from Portugal to Sint Maarten.
The brothers-in-law, who are aiming to raise £250,000 for dementia charities, said they were just 25 metres away from being exactly on the waypoint.
Having set off on 1st December – and having to make an unscheduled stop in Gran Canaria for solar panel and battery repairs – they celebrated the achievement with a “wee dram”! And they are now more than one third into their 3,500 nautical mile challenge.
However, once again they have encountered problems in recent days, including corrosion in their gas bottles. The latest saw them lose their ‘poo’ bucket overboard!
The Oar Blimey team jokingly posted on Facebook: “For those of you who are familiar with the Tom Hanks Castaway movie; we’ve had our first ‘Wilson’ moment!
“Our beloved poo bucket went overboard last night! And despite our valiant efforts to try and rescue it, it soon disappeared out of sight, devoured by the big deep beneath us…
“As it left, there were two grown men crying (and cursing in very colourful language)!
“But don’t worry, we factored in losing a bucket. However, we haven’t factored in losing two, so we’re pooping ourselves in case this happens!”
George and Russ set off on a three-month adventure of a lifetime on 1st December, aiming to row unsupported across the Atlantic Ocean and raise £250,000 for two dementia charities. They will each row for two hours at a time and then rest in between.
The 3,500-mile challenge began in front of a small group of supporters in Portugal and the duo want to reach Sint Maarten in the Caribbean.
Team Oar Blimey are rowing in a Rannoch Adventure R20, which is just 6.5m long and 1.2m wide, in their bid to help Our Dementia Choir with Vicky McClure and Ladybrook Enterprises.
The rowers can be tracked at www.oarblimey.co.uk or download the YB Races app and add their race, “Oar Blimey Atlantic Ocean Challenge 2023”.
To find out more about the rowing challenge or to help support the cause, visit https://oarblimey.co.uk where you can make a donation or find them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/oarblimey
