Cruising for charity

Hi all

I hope you will all be interested in the following plea. As some of you already know, I am planning my first ‘big’ trip which is to leave Port Solent on the south coast of the UK and sail clockwise around the UK to Scotland on my little boat a Hanse 312 by the name of Morgen.  I am doing this not only for myself but on behalf of the Association of International Cancer Research (AICR). The reasons for this venture and fundraising can be found at www.justgiving.com once on their website just click on 'sponsor a friend' and type in my name ‘Richard Dempster’ and you will find my page. As you will see it is a cause very dear to my heart. Even if you decide not to sponsor please have a look at the site and find some of the reasons why I have taken on this venture. If however you do sponsor I thank you most sincerely.

For those of you who already know about this and have asked me for an itinerary I have at last made a proper start at planning. Although, no dates as yet. Except that I intend to leave on April 30^th 2011 weather dependant obviously. I will also endeavour to write an on going Blog which I have agreed to do with AICR which some of you might find of interest. Or at least have a good laugh. I will Post a message when this has been put in place. Anyway this is what it looks like so far:

The Ports / Harbours that I have pencilled in as possible / probable stopping off points are:

• Port Solent Leaving on April 30th
• Yarmouth I.O.W.
• Poole Harbour
• Weymouth
• River Dart
• Plymouth
• Fowey
• Falmouth
• Penzance
• Padstow
• Milford Haven
• Across the Irish Sea
• Wexford
• Arklow
• Wicklow
• Dun Loaghaire
• Carlingford Lough
• Then Either to Isle of Man or to Strangford Lough
• Stranraer
• Finally in to the Firth of Clyde
• Complete the circumnavigation the following season.

These are changeable due to the circumstances at the time. But I will do my best to keep to them.

Although this voyage has been made many times before the challenge for myself, my own personal ‘Everest’ if you like, is that I am a novice sailor having only sailed in the relatively safe waters of the Solent covering about twenty miles at a time. I am also being accompanied by ‘Freddie’ the family pet a one year old German Shepherd, for some of the more appropriate legs. I am in a lucky position that it does not matter how long this venture takes, having taken a year or two out of work and I intend to return home on a regular basis returning to the boat after a week or two in order to carry on the trip. Friends have also jumped at the opportunity to crew for a few of the legs and do their bit for the charity.

My partner Frances, a keen runner has also entered the St.Albans half marathon to raise money for the R.N.L.I. as she thinks not only is this a worthy cause but I may need their skills at some point. Hopefully not!

I hope you all find this interesting and please please look at www.justgiving.com

The Duke