Iain Rows the North Sea (Yes, Really)

Hello! I'm Iain, and I've spent the last decade rowing up and down the Thames in sleek, well-behaved boats, on (mostly) calm, predictable water. So naturally, I've decided to row 250km across the North Sea.

This June, I'll be part of a four-person crew — two men, two women — crossing from Burnham-on-Crouch in Essex to Hook of Holland in the Netherlands in an ocean rowing boat. Me and my crewmates are novices. The North Sea is not the Thames. What could possibly go wrong?

In all seriousness, this is a genuine challenge. Ocean rowing is a world away from the calm river rowing I know — unpredictable weather, open water, and a boat that's built for survival rather than speed or comfort. We'll be rowing in shifts through the night, through whatever the North Sea decides to throw at us, over roughly 36 to 48 hours.

We're doing it for two incredible charities, and that's what's going to keep us pulling on those oars when it gets hard.

The charities

The Osborne Trust supports the children of parents going through cancer — from diagnosis, through treatment, bereavement and beyond. When a parent gets a cancer diagnosis, the whole family is affected, and children often fall through the gaps. The Osborne Trust makes sure they don't.

Fulham Reach Boat Club gives state school children free access to sport — opening up a world that's too often reserved for those with the right postcode or the right school crest on their blazer. They also run Boats Not Bars, a rehabilitation programme working with prisoners to rebuild their lives.

Support the effort

We'll be cold, tired, and probably a bit damp. But we'll be rowing for children who deserve better opportunities, and for families facing one of life's hardest journeys.

Every pound counts. Please give whatever you can - and if you want to follow our progress on the water in June, watch this space!

Iain & the crew 🚣‍♂️🌊