Three years and five months after leaving Dartmouth on his voyage to meet every Harbour Master in the British Isles, Mark has returned to his home port of Dartmouth on the final day of the Royal Regatta.
On 27th August 2022, he was welcomed back by Paul Britton, the 210th Harbour Master he has met on his odyssey sailing around the country clockwise. The journey has taken him into every nook and cranny of England, Scotland, and Wales with a friendly welcome in over 250 harbours and ports.
Highlights include sailing the Bristol Channel to Sharpness, into Liverpool Docks, visiting most of the Scottish Islands including St Kilda, rounding the top of Shetland, exploring far up many a river including the Tay, Forth, Tyne, Tees, Humber and Thames and venturing into seldom visited harbours in North East Scotland, The Wash, Essex and Kent. Every Harbour Master he met has given Mark a fascinating interview ready for his forthcoming talks and book.
His return was organised by the Chairman of the Dartmouth Regatta, Ed Botterill and Mark’s boat, a 34ft Nauticat called Good Dog was invited to take part in the Jubilee Parade of Sail. Mayor David Wells, joined the welcome as well as Jack Handley, Assistant HM who had waved Mark off in March 2019.
When asked about his trip, Mark said “It must be the slowest circumnavigation ever planned, but I now know nearly every mile of the British coastline and urge people to explore our amazing country. As for a travel guide, you could not ask for a more experienced person than a local Harbour Master!”
It is estimated there are nearly 300 Harbour Masters in Britain and Ireland, but nobody knows! Next year Mark hopes to finish the challenge by circumnavigating Ireland and visiting the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands.
So far Mark has raised nearly £20,000 for The Seafarers’ Charity which has done so much to help those mariners caught up in the pandemic. giveasyoulive/harbourmastersailingchallenge
Mark Ashley-Miller markashleymiller@gmail.com Instagram @harbourmastersailingchallenge Notes for Editors on page 2.
Notes for Editors
Retired businessman Mark Ashley-Miller, 59, is attempting to visit every Harbour Master in the British Isles.
Starting out from Dartmouth in March 2019, Mark has sailed 6,000 nautical miles, visited 250 harbours and interviewed 205 Harbour Masters. Helming his 34ft boat “Good Dog” in a clockwise direction around GB, he is asking each Harbour Master a couple of questions to create a unique record of them, their harbours and their work. Harbours have included Cornish fishing villages, tidal ports far up the Bristol Channel, urban container ports, Scottish submarine bases and tiny National Trust islands. He has met Harbour Masters on fishing boats, in corporate city offices, at busy ferry terminals and even one welcoming him with a bottle of malt whisky! As well as sailing to their offices, he has travelled by train, bus and even hitch-hiked to meet them.
All this in support of The Seafarers’ Charity. Raising money for, and awareness of, this brilliant charity which supports so many seafarers and their families. Covid has highlighted their work with 300,000 seafarers trapped on their ships worldwide during the pandemic.
FAQs:
How many Harbour Masters are there in the UK and Ireland? Nobody knows! It is circa 300 official Harbour Masters plus deputies, assistants, part time, seasonal and volunteers. Also Dock, Pier and Slipway Masters work in a range of commercial, trust, council and private harbours.
What route is Mark taking? Turning to starboard out of Dartmouth, so far Mark has followed the coastline with passages to the Isles of Scilly, Bristol, the Clyde, the inner and outer Hebrides, Orkney and Shetland, Perth, Newcastle, The Wash and London, and the South Coast back to Devon.
How long will the challenge take? It is estimated to take five years depending on the weather. In 2022 he visits the south coast and a passage around Ireland will complete the challenge in 2023.
How is the challenge being recorded? For his book, Mark asks every Harbour Master a couple of questions when he meets them:
~ What is the most unique fact or feature about your harbour?
~ What is the most unusual thing you have done or experienced as a Harbour Master?
The results, together with photos and videos, are recorded on Instagram @harbourmastersailingchallenge and eventually in a book.
What charity is Mark supporting? The primary charity is The Seafarers’ Charity (King George’s Fund for Sailors). This charity has been helping people in the maritime community for over 100 years by providing vital support to seafarers in need and to their families, and to those in education or training who are preparing to work at sea. The charity gives grants to organisations and projects that make a real difference to people’s lives. In particular, the challenge will highlight mental health issues in maritime industries. Mark is also visiting beneficiaries of the charity on his journey. More can be seen at theseafarerscharity.org. When not sailing, Mark is churchwarden to a small church in Lillington, Dorset and 10% of the money raised is going to its restoration fund. Giving Page: https://donate.giveasyoulive.com/fundraising/harbour-master-sailing-challenge £18,000 out of a target £20,000 has been raised so far.
Is Mark sailing alone? For most of the trip Mark is joined by friends and family. Volunteer crews are welcome!
What type of boat is Good Dog? A Nauticat 331 mono-hull motor sail ketch with a 75 HP engine. Made in Finland she is 34ft long and sleeps 5. She is equipped with 3 sails, a tender on davits, 3 Plotters, 2 VHF radios, AIS and a 20kg Rocna anchor with 60M of 8mm chain.
Has anyone done this before? There is no record of such a trip – so maybe it’s a first!
Can you follow his voyage? Yes! Using any Marine Traffic App, search for “Good Dog” and see Mark’s position live. Better still see the amazing photos he has taken on his Instagram Page.
Contacts: Mark Ashley-Miller – markashleymiller@gmail.com - 07817 845775. Instagram: @harbourmastersailingchallenge. The Seafarers’ Charity London Charlotte.Brennan@theseafarerscharity.org
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