Steve Burrows of SBA, leg sponsor for the Douglas Isle of Man to Bangor Northern Ireland leg, went onto Manx Radio to promote the event and the MOB Guardian System.

Listen to Steve’s interview here - interview starts at about 47 mins in.

I want to thank Steve for doing this on my behalf and also to ask any others that wish to promote the event to their local radio/media then PLEASE do so. Also, if you can arrange any media interviews with me when I arrive in your local port then please do that too. Don’t forget to let me know about it though will you

Well it is less than 3 weeks to go and I am still in need of sponsorship funds to make this trip happen .

So, if you were thinking about helping and just haven’t got around to it yet now is the time let me know.

Considering how much Round Britain events usually cost this event is costing next to nothing so please, it is to raise funds for the RNLI and to help them spread the word about MOB Guardian and Sea Safety so it is for the very best of causes.

It costs millions each year to run and maintain the fleet of lifeboats and lifeguards. The crews are volunteers but they need equipment and training. It costs £1000 per crew member per year to keep the crews trained and as there are over 230 lifeboats stations it runs into millions just for crew training.

The RNLI is NOT government funded and ALL of that money comes from donations from the public.

That is what this event is about… raising money for the RNLI "Train one, save many" campaign to provide funds for crew training.

So, if you have a company and want to be involved in helping me raise £30,000 for the RNLI please get in touch at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . I do not expect something for nothing and I can offer promotional opportunities ranging from branding on the boat to my personal promotion of your company or products. Web site exposure is included as is inclusion in the sponsor list in any articles such as in Motor Boats Monthly.

More information on the RNLI is at www.rnli.org.uk

I am delighted to announce that Canland UK (Hot Pack) Ltd have come on board as official main meal supplier!

With 70 - 90 days away it is essential that I can guarantee that I have a meal at the end of each day. Having Hot Pack Self-Heating Meals on board will mean that I will have a nourishing and tasty meal at least once a day guaranteed and I am pleased to welcome Canland UK as one of my partners.

Hot Pack™ Self-Heating Nutritious Meals offer a cost effective solution for instant hot food and is the answer for Non-Magnesium Flameless Ration pack heating, away from home or base.

Hot Pack™ Self-Heating Meals

offer a whole new concept to "instant" hot food and is the answer to having a hot meal, away from home or base, without needing any other heating or cooking equipment! With a heating time of only 10-12 minutes, Hot Pack™ is ideal for using in remote locations, or even to take to outdoor music festivals, sports meetings, motor rally’s etc. Take a Hot Pack™ to work or the office or when working outdoors as a warm alternative to lunchtime sandwiches.

Who can use Hot Pack™ Meals? Answer: Anyone!

What is the shelf-life? Answer: 3 years from production (Best Before Date).

Each Hot Pack™ Self-Heating Meal contains a delicious and wholesome 300g cooked, ready to eat meal in a pouch, with a dish, knife, fork, salt and pepper, serviette, and a 45ml sachet of water to activate the heater. Everything is included to enjoy a satisfying serving of one of seven delicious Hot Pack™ recipes anywhere you like! Each Hot Pack™ weighs only 420g. This, together with the compact outer box, makes it light to carry and easy to store. The box acts as an oven during heating, but is also a useful receptacle for putting the used items inside and carefully disposing of later.

Great news for everyone wanting to follow me as I go Round Britain…

MarineTrack, leading provider of Telematic Systems, is providing me with a tracking device that will allow you to tranck my progress as I travel round. I don’t have all the technical details yet but it will mean that you will be able to view my progress in real time when I am at sea!

Established in 1998 by a group of telematic engineers specialising in remote medical monitoring, MarineTrack responded to the remote monitoring needs of the Super Yacht Industry. Many Super Yacht owners wanted to track their expensive assets and in creating a solution to this industry requirement MarineTrack developed what was widely regarded as the first Ship Security Alert System (SSAS).

MarineTrack continues to lead the market in the manufacturer of high quality reliable Ship Security Alert Systems providing tracking solutions in the commercial shipping market with well known companies including Shell and Royal Caribbean Cruises.

MarineTrack’s systems are versatile and continue to evolve to meet the ever increasing demands of a global industry. Our specially configured web based interface allows our customers to perform real time, fleet wide, tracking of their floating assets, remote engine monitoring/management and simplified Company Security Officer alerting.

Please take a look at the MarineTrack web site here before you leave.

Great news! Reeds Nautical have agreed to be an event sponsor. Apart from financial support they have provided me with the data and information necessary to plan such a trip safety in the form of the Reeds Nautical Almanac.

Coming soon is Reeds Nautical Online. A new version of the famous "Yachtman’s Bible" that will allow searching online and the ability to print sections thereby providing an alternative to either the full almanac or the looseleaf version. Pricing will be similar to the current printed copy price and with such capabilities it is sure to be a huge success.

Watch out at www.reedsnauticalonline.co.uk for more information.

Please have a read…

http://www.suzuki-marine.co.uk/news/detail.php?id=000714

It is with great pleasure that I can now announce that Suzuki Marine UK have agreed to be Title Partner for the event.

With the boat being powered by a Suzuki DF115 4-stroke outboard motor this will ensure that I have the very best of support.

Suzuki has long been the innovator in outboard motors and their range of ultimate 4-stroke outboards offer the ideal blend of performance and dependability for any kind of boating. From the lightweight and portable 2.5hp to the award winning power of the 300hp, Suzuki has the outboard for you. All Suzuki outboards provide environmentally friendly, fuel-efficient 4-stroke technology at affordable prices. Plus the 5 year warranty promotion for 2008 gives you even more reason to choose a Suzuki outboard.

Please click on the logo, visit their web site and have a look at the DF range of 4-stroke motors. I have owned 3 now (DF140, DF115 & DF2.5) and I can say from personal experience they are reliable, economical and very, very quiet!

We are now starting to get Leg Sponsors booking themselves to sponsor specific legs.

Just £200 and we can offer you local publicity when in port, inclusion in our sponsor list, inclusion in the MBM Feature article and inclusion on the web site with a logo/link.

Get in early before your leg gets taken.

More info at Sponsorship

Welcome on board to Garmin

Garmin have agreed to supply me with Bluechart Electronic Charts for the UK for use in the second chartplotter. This is a Garmin GPSMAP 76CS. It is a super handheld GPS/Chartplotter. I have had mine for over 2 years using it as a second chartplotter on the boat and with City Select maps in hte car. I have even toured all over the USA with this unit and it has never let me down in any respect.

Please take a look at the newest range of Garmin products by clicking on the logo.

Yet more good news…

Gill have agreed to supply us with clothing for the event

Marine Electronic Services are supplying us with the latest in AIS transponders.