Over three weeks I will attempt to visit as many Scottish islands as possible on my little boat Auk. My route will depend on the weather conditions, but some of the islands I hope to reach include Bute, Jura, Islay, Gigha, Colonsay, Mull and Lismore.  For those of you who have sailed in these waters, you will know that careful interpretation of weather and tidal conditions is vital. Single-handed sailing adds another dimension to this challenge, with little time to relax whilst at sea, and anchoring or mooring being trickier with only one person. Having arrived safely at an island, the next hurdle will be getting my bike on land. In most places I will be at anchor or on a mooring and will have to use a dinghy to get ashore. Having overcome all of the above, then there will be the small matter of cycling as many miles as I can over these windy and hilly islands! At the end of a long day on the bike I will have to reverse the process of getting the bike back out to the boat, then settle down with the weather forecast and tide tables and plan the next days sailing. I will be filming as I go along, and look forward to sharing my adventure on my return.

As I battle seasickness in lumpy seas, slog up a particularly steep hill on the bike, or lie awake at night listening to the wind and wondering whether the anchor will hold, I will be encouraged by the thought of (hopefully) raising lots of money for two very worthwhile charities. Please donate as much as you can and I will do my very best out there. 

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The RNLI is a charity that provides a 24 hour search and rescue service, with the aim of preventing loss of life at sea. Crew members are mostly volunteers, and are individuals who demonstrate real selflessness and extreme bravery. As a sailor from a young age, I have witnessed how situations can develop outwith the control of the most prepared sea-goer, and also how ferocious the sea can be when the weather gets bad. That people volunteer to go to sea, some times in truly awful conditions, in order to save the lives of others is humbling. With your donation, these RNLI volunteers can continue to be trained and equipped to provide this amazing service.

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Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity. So it’s the most efficient way to donate – saving time and cutting costs for the charity.