Hi Ted, how was the trip?
Life changing. Personally and professionally it pushed me all the way and to be honest even now, a few months later, the sheer enormity of it all is still processing. So many emotions and experiences literally floating about the place since I came home. I think it was such an intense effort every day that the space and time to actually process what was happening was hard to find. Sailing 1750km in any boat is a milestone, but when that boat is 13ft long and you're doing it alone it's something to remember.
What were some of the highlights?
There were many. Crossing Donegal Bay in a heavy wind to be suddenly becalmed beneath the expanse of the Slieve League cliffs took my breath away. Although less famous than the Cliffs of Moher in County Clare, Slieve League's cliffs reach almost three times higher. I was a mere speck on the ocean that day. Also, unless I lose my marbles completely, I'm not sure there'll be another time I'll find myself in such a small boat screaming along at 15 knots (approx. 28km p.h) in ocean blue water with Ireland's Wild Atlantic Way scenery all around me either. Oh, and throw in 2 pods of dolphins chasing, jumping, weaving and winding their way around my bow and stern wave all at the same time. Exhilarating, edge of the seat sailing in a totally unique environment.
Stepping back from the experience overall it was a fantastic way to see the country and visit so many unique places and coastline communities. I'm fortunate to live in such a beautiful country and now have had the privilege to see and experience it from a unique perspective.
Were there any times in which you felt like you were not going to be able to make it to the finish line?
I always believed deep down I'd finish the job. My only worry prior to and throughout was my body would break or give up in such a way that I couldn't continue. There would have been a few tears shed if that had been the case but thankfully it all worked out in the end. Physically and mentally there was a cost though. The body held up pretty well for the most part but sailing day-in-day-out for about 7-9 hours a day and then trying to replace about 126,000 calories over the trip was near impossible. By week 4 the belt sizes started to slip and soon I was on the last one! I managed 6 rest days over the entire 42-day trip which just about kept the engines running but since finishing there has been plenty of physio and rebuilding to do.
How was your final day? What emotions did you feel on approach to your final location?
The final days of the trip feel like tiny time capsules. Even thinking about them stirs up all the emotions again. I say final days because the trip came to a conclusion over a 48 hour period in reality. The first milestone was the realization off Baltimore, Co. Cork that I was sailing towards, passing and then rounding my final headland. For six weeks each headland away in the distance had tempted and then sometimes tortured me. Battered by heavy winds, with a small number of yachts and speedboats welcoming me in, the emotion of the moment just boiled over as I tried to record one of my final video blogs. It was a really special moment. Raw unstoppable emotion. I had never doubted I could finish the trip but at that stage I also realized I was nearly home and the dream would be realized.
I’d left just five nautical miles to sail on that final day, my shortest day of the trip, so I felt more relaxed, but nature was again having her fun with me and as a result the wind and the route to the finish meant I still had work to do. Every mile I got closer another support boat or two would join the flotilla. By the time I could see the finish the sense of occasion and personal achievement really began to resonate. I think the enormity of the achievement really crystallized when I crossed the point at which I had sailed out six weeks previous. It felt so weird looking down and out into the bay knowing that the last time I had been here the boat and I were pointing the opposite direction and I’d just begun the incredible journey. Reaching the slipway in Schull with large numbers of friends, family and the local community cheering me on, the champagne never tasted so good!
What kind of support did you receive from people whilst on your journey?
I guess all of us at some stage or another have wondered if at a very fundamental level the world is losing sight of the interactions and experiences that celebrate humanity, the things that make the human experience so endearing. I can’t emphasize enough how cathartic the One Wild Ride experience was for me in this regard. The support received from friends, family and near perfect strangers will live long in the memory - the work rate from everyone involved; phenomenal. Right across the country people welcomed us with open arms, providing food, accommodation, local knowledge, support and advice without hesitation or cost. There’re so many examples and each contribution, no matter how big or small, got us to the finishing line.
What was it like returning to work after your journey? How did your teammates react to your trip?
Truthfully the first week was really tough but that was more to do with the fact that I’d only had about three days rest! Tired or not it was hard not to be enthused by the reception I got when I came back to work. Huge numbers had followed the journey online with many many more donating so kindly to the cause. In an office with over 1400 people, it might seem easy for people to become disconnected, but there is an immediacy, a real sense of personal interaction that makes it a very engaging place to work. I consider myself very lucky to work with 'friends' and not just colleagues I know from 9-to-5.
Do you have any other adventures planned or initiatives in support of charities?
For sure. Completing the circumnavigation was only the first part of the fund-raising plan. There has been lots of interest from sailing clubs and organisations around the country who’d like me to present a talk about the One Wild Ride experience. Things like this will essentially provide a platform upon which I can help ChildVision continue to raise its profile. Aside from that I’ve had links with the RNLI lifeboats for some years too and will hold my promise to raise some funds for Kilrush RNLI who were responsible for the rescue of the support boat crew when the steering failed off Loop Head.
Looking back, with all you went through, is it something you would do again?
If you’d asked me about two days after I finished it would have been a resounding no! It was a hugely demanding trip and it took a lot out of me. But, having had the time to sit back from the experience, I know in my heart of hearts One Wild Ride hasn’t tempered the sense of adventure in me - it’s only stoked the fire and lit a fuse or three! There’s more in me and another adventure awaits somewhere down the line. And why not? The rewards personally and professionally are so great. Stop dreaming and you stall the learning process and lose the will to explore. It’s an awful big world out there but sometimes the greatest challenges are closer to home!