I have had a passion for the sea which goes back to when I was in the Merchant navy working as an engineer on the gas tankers. I enjoyed the travel alongside the very real sense of comradeship that being together with ship mates for months brings. Where does sailing fit in?
During the Summer I managed a yacht charter business on the Hamble which inspired me to further my ambition to sail. Having sold a house, I now had the means to purchase one of the yachts, an Erikson 38, named Erica of Falmouth in 2000. With this yacht I decided I was going to undertake a transatlantic crossing, no mean feat.
This trip was planned with precision, I had recruited 3 ship mates and we set off in July 2004, the 3 months crossing from England to the Virgin Islands was life changing but short lived. I loved every moment of this adventure. My life goals changed, as it does with many people when marriage and then parenthood become the focus, sometimes there just isn’t the space for the other things in life, even if those things are the very essence of our being. I think those things sit there in the background bubbling away and waiting for their opportunity to be part of our lives again. I never lost that passion, the drive for the sea.
I sold my Erica of Falmouth in 2006 in the British Virgin Islands. Little did I know then that I would not have the opportunity to sail again for years.
What happened next?
Having met my partner in April 2019 we shared our passion for the sea, whilst not having sailed she was an avid kayaker and surfer and was an adventurer at heart. Work kept us busy and then covid kept us at home. We had little money but thought we could find a small yacht that we could perhaps refit would suit both our passion for adventure and our pockets. We had seen a yacht for sale, based at Nairn boat yard and on one afternoon in June 2021 we visited the yard and whilst the boat we had in mind needed a bit more work than we thought we could manage, there was another boat there, a Hunter Horizon 30. This boat had been sitting in the yard for a couple of years, its owner unfortunately having died. Having contacted the solicitor dealing with the estate we managed to negotiate a deal and the boat was ours.
Refitting a boat is like a marathon, it is easy to feel overwhelmed and for the costs to spiral. We are acutely aware of the need to plan and work to a budget.
Why Vitallife Sailing, Why Sailing Beyond Arthritis
My life changed in April 2023. I had required an operation on the vertebrae on my neck which was causing compression on the spinal nerve, the constant pain was unbearable and made working almost impossible . Life was constrained in the year leading up to the operation and then in January 2023 I had the operation which seemed successful and relieved the pain and immobility which had overwhelmed me. This was a significant operation with plastic blocks used to replace some of the vertebrae. It may have been linked, I just don’t know but around 4 months later I was in excruciating pain, in all of my joints and every part of my body, I could barely move, I had so little strength and was not able to cut up my own food or move the covers off the bed. Having been unable to sit on the toilet or open the door without help became my new world.
It is hard to describe the physical pain never mind the sense of hopelessness and fear for the future.
I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis in October 2023 and prescribed steroids until a full assessment could be completed. Following the assessment and a period at a wonderful local rehabilitation hospital in Dingwall, specifically for patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis I was prescribed methotrexate.
Within around 12 weeks I began to feel less pain in my joint and some mobility had began to return. The fatigue and brain fog remained problematic with my walking and energy levels most days depleted however I felt a lot better than I had the 12 weeks before and began to feel hope for my future.
I cannot underestimate the impact that this disease has had on my life and those caring for me, my life would be different now, but I am determined to make the most of my time and to help and inspire others.
And so, the idea was born
I began to think that I could use my experience of an autoimmune disease to help others, to encourage, to inspire and to raise awareness of this disease by competing in an amazing, exciting adventure – The Fast Net and the Sydney to Hobart Race both in 2027, and so the idea was born.
As with all great ideas, there is an initial moment of excitement and adventure as the idea is emerging and forming and so with that in mind our search for a suitable boat commenced.
I had experience of Ericson Yachts and knew that they were good sea boats that could handle rough weather and I began my search, unsure of how this would be financed but as always optimistic.
The Hunter Horizon 30, I thought would make a brilliant training boat for the project.
In July 2023 I had spotted an Ericson 380 in Rockland, Maine. Although this is some 2,862 miles from where I was based, this did not put me off looking into this possibility further.
I was disappointed that when I contacted the yacht brokers and after some discussion, found the yacht was not actively being sold by the owners at that time.
However I was in luck and by February 2024, the brokers had contacted me to let me know that the boat ‘Simply Messing’ owners were happy to sell us this beautiful boat with a generous proposal. We managed to raise the funds much to our relief, the project and this exciting journey had began.