Dave 'Dinger' Bell after rowing for 11+ hours in the course of a day.
Published: June 13, 2021 | Updated: 14th June 2021
The picture says it all.
An exhausted Dave ‘Dinger’ Bell after 11+ hours of rowing across the Atlantic in the course of 24 hours.
As reported on Dorset Biz News, the former Royal Marine set off from Liberty Landing Marina in New York, USA. on May 31.
Ahead of him an epic 3,118 mile journey as he attempts to row solo and unsupported west to east across the North Atlantic to Falmouth in Cornwall.
Dinger, who comes from Bere Regis, is now a fortnight into his challenge.
He aims to row between ten and 12 hours a day.
Dinger has already raised nearly £19,000, including Gift Aid, for the SBS Association and Rock2Recovery UK.
So how’s he doing?
Here’s the first of our regular updates, kindly provided by Barry Hayes, pictured right, who is handling Dinger’s social media and has himself rowed across both the Pacific and Indian Oceans.
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Progress report 1 – May 31 to June 13, 2021
Dinger left Liberty Landing Marina at 01:55 local time on May 31 in line with the outgoing tide.
Dinger and the wider support team really weren’t sure whether he would be able to make it down the Hudson River before the tides turned and closed the doors on the Atlantic for another 12 hours.
Dinger surpassed all expectations and not only cleared the mouth of the Hudson, but made it way out beyond Fort Hancock, the gateway to the Atlantic Ocean.
After a brief period of rest Dinger once again got on the oars and bit by bit clawed his way off shore, eventually breaking free of the impact of the ebb and flow of the coastal tides.
During his voyage he has seen whales and dolphins, had an encounter with a large sun fish and even saw an unknown dorsal fin circling him at one stage!
Over the last few days he has made it far enough out so that he is off the continental shelf, and into 3km deep waters.
And then things started becoming incredibly difficult.
His position is just north of the powerful Gulf Stream.
The Gulf Stream is a powerful current that helps him towards the UK, but it also creates significant offshoots of current that swirl around in the opposite direction.
Dinger has found himself at the top end of one of these swirls which, along with the powerful winds is pushing him back to New York in spite of all of his efforts.
After a frustrating day of being unable to row East or South, he is now heading South West.
It is the opposite way to the UK, but the southerly angle he is able to obtain should get him down and into the path of the Gulf Stream.
Then, once the strong winds abate, he’ll be able to return to rowing east, hopefully this time helped by the Gulf Stream.
June 12 was Dinger’s birthday.
He celebrated with a treat by cracking open one of his prized Fray Bentos pies and mushy peas.
Happy Birthday, Dinger!
