Having called time on his solo row around mainland Great Britain in support of men’s suicide prevention charity James’ Place, Angus Collins posted to his Instagram followers on 2 August: “With a heavy heart, I’ve made the decision to stop this challenge and bring A Great British Odyssey to an end.”
Photo Ocean rower Angus Collins
Credit David Loftus
“Yesterday, I broke. Not in the way you might expect at sea – with waves or winds or currents – but in the quiet, crushing way only the mind can unravel. I spent much of the day in tears. Not fresh tears, but ones I’ve been holding back since almost the moment I set foot on Goosander. They’ve been building with every stretch of coastline, every storm, every hour along in the vast, grey silence.”
Collins’ original aim to be become the first person to complete a non-stop, unsupported solo circumnavigation ended two weeks earlier when he made the tough decision to accept assistance in order to fix a broken footplate. At that point the world record attempt ended.
The mental health advocate pressed on, in an attempt try finish the row and continue raising awareness and funds for his chosen charity. “I have a list of prioritises and the record attempt is at the bottom of that list. Safety being number one, making it around being number two, and the story of what James’ Place do,” said Collins.
Amy Swart, Head of Fundraising and Communications at James’ Place, said: “We are hugely grateful to Angus for his incredible support of James’ Place. It costs around £2,000 for James’ Place to support one man through a suicidal crisis. The money Angus has raised, and continues to raise from generous supporters, is already having a genuine lifesaving impact, making a difference to the lives of many men and their families and friends.”
“This might be the end of the expedition, but it is not the end of the journey.”
Angus Collins
From the start of the row Collins was dogged by unfavourable conditions and weather events. Having set off from Portsmouth at the end of June, Collins made it as far around as Cornwall before getting stuck in Boscastle; the direction of the wind prevented his ability to progress to the next stop in Bude and onwards across the Bristol Channel to Lundy.
An end to Collins’ week-long stalemate on the north coast of Cornwall came when he decided to “pivot” and adapt his plan. “We’re at the stage where almost 50% of this expedition has been spent on anchor,” he told his followers.
Goosander, his purpose-built boat, was taken out of the water and transported from Boscastle to Carlisle on 28 July, allowing Collins to continue the row in better conditions.
Frustratingly, en route to Scotland his water maker was damaged, delaying his restart. His return to the water was short-lived. The incoming Storm Floris finally put paid to the challenge, which ended in Oban on the west coast of Scotland.
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Credit Cesare Serventi
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Credit Cesare Serventi
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Credit Cesare Serventi
Drag
“After more than a decade of rowing across the world’s oceans – chasing records, isolation, and maybe even answers – I’ve come to understand something I never allowed myself to before. Healing doesn’t happen alone in the middle of the sea. It happens at home, surrounded by the people who love you.
“That might seem obvious to some, but for me, it’s a hard-won and deeply personal truth. One that has come at a cost, but one I will carry forward with pride.
“I am sorry. I am sorry this is how it ends. I am sorry I didn’t succeed in the way I had hoped to. But I believe there is strength in being honest, especially when it’s hard.”
At the time of writing, with the support of nearly 300 donors, A Great British Odyssey has raised over £152,000 of the £250,000 target for James’ Place.
“This might be the end of the expedition, but it is not the end of the journey.”
