greeny
Well-Known Member
Retired Army major's mission to row 100 miles in homemade boat | ITV News
All credit to him for what he's doing.
All credit to him for what he's doing.
Major Mick - will the build technique catch on?
- Thread starter greeny
- Start date
Zagato
Well-Known Member
I used to enjoy rowing my 22' Drascombe Coaster up various quiet creeks. It is surprising how far you can go if you plod on at a gentle pace, each stroke of the oar just topping up the momentum. Not sure I would be doing it at 80 and in that thing... good luck to him...
johnalison
Well-Known Member
Are you suggesting that 80 is old? If you are, you are setting yourself up for limiting your own life's ambitions. I last sailed to Poland when I was 75 and only stopped sailing abroad two years later because of my wife's problems (new knee etc). Last week I joined a 6-mile walk and admittedly suffered a bit the next day. I'm not sure that my 80-yr-old back would let me row 100 miles but although worthy, I don't see it as anything exceptional.
mjcoon
Well-Known Member
Can't be bothered to follow the link but saw it at transmission. IIRC he based the design on boats he had seen; was it in India?
Mark-1
Well-Known Member
For the charitably minded you can donate to the Canal here:
Secure Chichester Canal Foundations
...and/or to the hospice here:
Major Mick's Tintanic 100 mile Challenge
Secure Chichester Canal Foundations
...and/or to the hospice here:
Major Mick's Tintanic 100 mile Challenge
Mark-1
Well-Known Member
I'd agree. 80yo's do parkruns in fairly large numbers so fit and healthy 80yos are not rare and Hunston-Chi and back is an easy row by any standards. Bigging up the age thing to increase media attention for a good cause is fair enough though IMHO.
What *is* exceptional to me is a friendly eccentric rowing up and down chi canal in a boat made of scrap. I'm local and I've not seen that before. When I first saw him (before the charity row was thought of) I couldn't resist stopping to ask him all about it. I'll be heading down to the Basin at lunchtime today and his presence will definitely raise a smile!
Zagato
Well-Known Member
Yes... and you maybe right, time will tell. If I get to 80 I will be pleasantly surprised and will kiss the ground when I get there. Good health to you...
We visit Chichester quite often so will look him out... hope the weather stays good for him.
johnalison
Well-Known Member
Indeed. I didn't intend to belittle his achievement, which I fully admire. I hope you have a lot of fun.
Norman_E
Well-Known Member
Its quite a clever design actually. He seems to have solved the problem of making it watertight, and the outriggers stop it capsizing.
Bouba
Well-Known Member
I certainly remember years ago, many backyard canoes built out of corrugated iron in New Zealand, where it was plentiful because most roofs were made of it
NotBirdseye
Well-Known Member
Coincidentally neighbours started complaining it was a bit drafty... no idea why... ?
Slowboat35
Well-Known Member
I'm afraid I'd have thought that to become a Major in the British Army you'd need rather more intelligence and ability than that required to concieve such an utter, clumsy abortion of a 'boat'.
Perhaps my opinion of Pongos is over-generous. It certainly appears that way.
Perhaps my opinion of Pongos is over-generous. It certainly appears that way.
NotBirdseye
Well-Known Member
... **uncontrollable laughter**
Army... Intelligence... Major... **wheeze** (not all, just most).
Mark-1
Well-Known Member
Because the standard of other boats built on a whim by ocagenarians out of stuff lying around the house during a period of national house arrest is typically far higher. ?
