24 Hours on the Erg… over £2k raised towards our Ocean Rowing Boat!!

Early August saw the crew embark on our first real endurance challenge and a mighty effort to fundraise for the all-important Ocean Rowing Boat!

Using rowing machines and a mock set up of the boat the Merched Y Môr crew rowed for 24 hours non-stop, mimicking the shift pattern they will be using on the Atlantic in 2025. Taking place in Solva Harbour, it seems August forgot it was supposed to be a summer month and in true school holiday style it was blowing a strong northerly wind down the harbour and intermittently drenching us in heavy rain.

However, we’re not doing this because it’s easy, so we embraced the conditions, anchoring down our gazebo and tents and getting on with the job at hand. Starting at 6pm Helen and Liz took on the first 2-hour shift while Denise and Heledd chatted to the brave folk who ventured out in support, got to grips with the Jetboil for making hot drinks and live streamed the start on our Facebook and Instagram social media channels, watched by over a thousand people!

Swapping shifts every 2 hours, we were serenaded by Ukuleles and brought endless delicious treats by the fantastic friends, families, and supporters of this epic challenge. There is no doubt having been through the ‘one night’ of sleep deprivation and repetitive rowing that it will be you guys through your messages of support and positive encouragement that get us across the ocean in 2 years time!

The whole event was supported so generously by The University of Wales Trinity Saint David, where Denise works as a lecturer on the BA Outdoor Adventure Education Degree, supplying a gazebo, the tents and the rowing machines. We are endlessly grateful to our main sponsors so far including WebzerIT, Ethos and Serb, but it was the generosity of the public which blew our minds, donating more than £2000 over the duration of the event! Thank you must also go to our media partners, Pure West Radio , for the live coverage and ongoing support!

Overall, the row was a huge success, raising a fantastic amount of money as well as an awareness of the challenge ahead. We are thrilled that it will be our charities (RNLI, Popham Kidney Support, Action for Children, Sea Trust Wales) that benefit from every penny donated, as the full value of the boat (£85K) will eventually be going directly to them.

Although we have raised a considerable amount so far, we still need much much more! If you are a business and would like to get on board (excuse the pun!), you can find out about our Sponsorship packages on our website or just give us a call!

Keep an eye out for our next fundraising challenge… it’s going to be huge!!!