After 25 days at sea, circumnavigating the UK coastline, quadriplegic adventurer Geoff Holt and his team have returned to St. Katherine’s Dock, London
It was an emotional day for Wetwheels charity founder Geoff Holt and his team as he completed another trail-blazing voyage around Britain.
At 1300 today, he arrived back at St Katharine Docks, London in a 9m accessible power catamaran – the first ever Wetwheels wheelchair-accessible power catamaran – after 25 days at sea.
It has been 17 years since Geoff sailed solo around Britain in a 15ft catamaran dinghy. That took 110 days and involved getting “getting soaking wet and cold.”
His latest UK circumnavigation, saw Captain Geoff staying dry aboard a Cheetah vessel for 1,877.09 miles, supported by co pilot James Dunn and technician Sam Taylor-Nobbs, accompanied by special guests along the way.
Meanwhile, a road crew of Chris, Elspeth and Geoff’s wife Elaine met the voyagers at ports along the way, covering 2,572.4 miles by motor home.
Geoff, Sam and James in St Katherine’s Dock. Credit: finishingthedream.co.uk
Speaking from the Thames Estuary, a couple of days before the finale, Geoff said: “It’s quite emotional, still a lot to take in.
“I’ve been on this boat with James and Sam for what feels like an eternity.
“The road crew of Chris, Elspeth and Elaine have been amazing, driving those many hundreds if not thousands of miles.”
Still from video footage of Geoff Holt’s Finishing the Dream voyage finale in a 9m Cheetah power catamaran at St Katharine Docks, London. Credit: @finishingthedream
A spokesperson for the Finishing the Dream challenge filmed the voyage finale with a Facebook live video and said: “Many thanks to Tower RNLI for escorting us in, their support has been immense.
“We’ve been joined on this final leg by Bob and his family and a bear dedicated to Samuel his best friend who sadly passed away, but who loved being on Wetwheels.
“It’s been a very emotional day for everybody involved.”
The challengers departed from Tower Bridge, London on 13 May with a send-off by Lord Mayor of London Michael Mainelli, travelling ‘westabout’ along the South coast, up the West coast, through the Caledonian Canal and back down the East coast.
During the 1,877-mile voyage, they called in 17 key stops including the eight Wetwheels locations at Edinburgh, Scotland; Whitby, Yorkshire; Dover; Jersey, Channel Islands; Portsmouth; Hamble; Falmouth and Torbay, which are responsible for delivering thousands of boat trips around the UK each year to disabled people.
They also visited the accessible ports at Falmouth, Holyhead, Bangor, Oban and Lowestoft, before returning to London.
Geoff Holt and team were greeted by supporters at St Katharine’s Docks, London. Credit: finishingthedream.co.uk
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They have so far raised £74,590 of a £300,000 online target. The ultimate goal is to raise £1.2m for the registered charity, Wetwheels Foundation, to fund four new Wetwheels boats and fill the charity’s locational gaps’ around the UK so that more profoundly disabled people can enjoy the thrill of being afloat and where possible taking the helm.
Geoff, who was paralysed in a swimming accident in 1984, said: “Having spent 40 years in a wheelchair, paralysed from the chest down, the sea has been my salvation, the freedom and independence I get when I am afloat, I can forget about my disability.
“I have devoted most of my life to promoting the opportunities and benefits sailing offers disabled people and now this is my opportunity to spread that message throughout the United Kingdom.”
Geoff with the Lord Mayor of London Michael Mainelli. Credit: finishingthedream.co.uk
The challenge has been supported by several sponsors including UK-based RS Marine Group, alongside the Stelios Philanthropic Foundation, Hugh James and Raymarine.
Geoff, was awarded an MBE for Services to Sailing in 2010 and named ‘Yachtsman of the Year’ shortly after. Along with being a patron and ambassador for several charities and motivational speaker, Geoff set up his own charity in 2011, The Wetwheels Foundation, to enable disabled people to access the sea barrier-free in purpose-built, state-of-the-art motor boats.
He added: “Only when I cross the finish line back in London and we hit our fundraising targets, I will allow myself to relax.”