Calm sea conditions and a gentle breeze provided perfect sailing conditions on Tuesday (April 25th) when a fundraiser sailed around Stert Island near Burnham-On-Sea during a £50,000 challenge to sail around all of the UK’s 263 islands.
Ken Fowler set sail in his four-metre long dinghy from Burnham Sailing Club for the 40-minute sail around Stert Island, as pictured here. He had gained special permission in advance from Natural England due to the protected birds that live on the island.
He told Burnham-On-Sea.com that Stert Island was the 244th UK island he has sailed around during his multi-year challenge in his dinghy called Yodare.
It comes after he first attempted in 2017 to pilot a four-metre long dinghy 865 miles from Land’s End to John o’Groats in aid of Cancer Research UK and Oakhaven Hospice. However, despite completing the award-winning sail – which had only been attempted once before by a person in a much bigger boat – he fell £13,000 short of his target.
The 57-year-old considered this “unfinished business” and is therefore undertaking a second adventure, sailing 1,200 miles around the 263 islands dotted around England and Wales to plug the gap.
Ken is raising the cash in memory of his father Eric, who died aged 50 from cancer.
“Cancer patients don’t get to give up and neither will I,” says Ken. “Oakhaven Hospice is so brilliant and so caring, I just want to match that dedication and give something back.”
An air traffic controller by profession, Ken has just 20 islands to go to complete his challenge.
He has encountered dense fog, a low bridge when he had to capsize the boat to get under, and fast receding tides which nearly marooned him on mud flats.
Ken hopes to make the last island he sails around the the Isle of Wight, the site of his first ever sailing adventure and the closest to his home.
“I hope that, unlike arriving at John o’Groats after a gruelling 35 days with only my support team of two waiting for me, I can arrive back in Mudeford Harbour triumphant and fall exhausted into the embrace of my family.”
“The icing on the cake, of course, will be to have reached that fundraising target. Having lost my father to cancer, I want to help all those people out there who have a family member or friend that is fighting this devastating disease.”
Graham Wills, from Burnham-On-Sea Sailing Club, adds: “Unfortunately, cancer of one form or another touches many families. We will look to make a donation for what is undoubtedly a very pertinent cause.”
To follow Ken’s journey or donate visit his website at www.yodare.co.uk and click on the link to his Virgin Money Giving page.
