Row the Minch - The Challenge

The challenge

The Minch ( 'A Chuain Sgìth' in Gaelic) is a body of water which separates the Western Isles from the north-west mainland of Scotland. It ranges from 20 to 45 miles wide and is approx. 70 miles long. It is a busy shipping lane and is crossed daily by the CalMac ferry 'Isle of Lewis' which sails between Ullapool and Stornoway. The Minch is also home to the Minke Whale, Bottled Nosed Dolphins, Basking Sharks and many other cetaceans.

I am planning to row solo from Ullapool to Stornoway, pier to pier - a distance of 43 miles. I will be departing Ullapool around midday on Monday 14th July 2008 and aim to arrive in Stornoway around midday on Tuesday 15th July.

Where is the Minch?

Below you can see a Google map showing where (in relation to the rest of the UK) the Minch is:

The route

And here is another (zoomed in) map showing the route I'll be taking:

I will be shadowed by a safety boat but this will only help me in the event of an emergency. I will be alone in the boat and will have to take everything that I need for the crossing in the boat with me.

An independent TV company from Lewis (Moja TV) are making a programme about the whole project for transmission at a later date.