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DINGER'S BIG ROW - A Colossal Ocean Row
is raising money for Rock2Recovery
by taking part in
Dinger Cross Pacific and Indian Ocean Row
£142,707.72 Raised
Target: £150,000.00
95%
Total Raised
£142,708
Total Target: £150,000.00
OF TARGET REACHED
About DINGER'S BIG ROW - A Colossal Ocean Row
Dinger Is Off Again!
On another solo, unsupported row, only this time he’s taking on TWO oceans back-to-back while raising funds for Rock2Recovery. Dave “Dinger” Bell, a Royal Marine veteran with 20 years of service, is on a mission to take on something never done before: Leaving from Lima, Peru, on 9th November 2025, his initial goal is to cross the entire Pacific Ocean, a phenomenal journey of 7,500 nautical miles, solo, and unsupported – a feat expected to take around 200 days. HOWEVER, when he nears the shores of Australia, Dinger plans to complete a “mind, body and boat check” before deciding whether to push even further! If he continues, he will attempt to squeeze through the Torres Strait, travel along the whole of the north coast of Australia, before continuing across the wild Indian Ocean. If successful, this extended route would cover an mind-blowing 14,500 nautical miles and take around 350 days, finishing in Mauritius by mid-October 2026. If successful, this will be the longest ocean row of all time, by a huge margin.
But it won’t be easy. Dinger will need to safely navigate uncharted reefs and atolls that kick up treacherous surf zones as he approaches the Coral Sea and the notorious Torres Strait – all while at the mercy of powerful winds, tides and ocean currents. Dinger admits he doesn’t know if he can do it, but in his own words, “the rewards come from the toil of trying”. Judging by his past performance on the North Atlantic, we know he will give it his all.
Every detail has been carefully planned – from building the boat and selecting the right equipment to weather routing, avoiding cyclone seasons and fuelling himself with over 5,000 calories a day. A live tracker: https://cf.yb.tl/dingersbigrow will share his progress with waypoints and updates throughout the voyage. You can also follow him on the YB Races app under “Dinger’s Big Row 2025”.
After completing his 3,200-nautical-mile North Atlantic solo row in 2021, from New York to Newlyn, Cornwall, the call of the ocean has lured him back for this extraordinary new challenge. We are delighted to have Dinger supporting Rock2Recovery once again. To get to the start line, Dinger has literally spent his entire life savings. At the last count around 18 companies, individuals or organisations have stepped in and helped in some way. Some with advice, some with discounts on kit, others with free or discounted services and a couple of legends with cold hard cash. Without them Dinger would not have got this far.
Some facts about the challenge: · 8.3 m carbon fibre boat weighing 230 kg
175 kg of emergency, communication and repair equipment
400 kg of food, around 4,000 different food items
He requires a minimum of 5,000 calories per day
He must clean the hull mid-ocean, despite a fear of open water!
He carries a full medical kit for every eventuality
He will try and row for 10–12 hours a day and sleep around 8 hours · He uses a ‘parachute’ anchor during heavy weather
He has a machine to convert seawater into drinking water
CLICK THE LINK TO SEE THE ENORMITY OF THE ROW
MAP
Fundraising Information
This fundraising page benefits the following good cause:
Rock2Recovery
Rock 2 Recovery, was formed in 2015 by Jamie Sanderson and Jason Fox, after they both experienced their own battles with stress after transitioning from the Royal Marines.
Our mission is to save and change the lives of those in our Armed Forces, our Veteran Community, the Emergency Services and their families who are affected by stress. Our purpose is to inspire and coach towards a more positive future.
Sessions are free to our clients and so fundraising has a vital part to play for us.
Following our unique experiences, we recognise the need for rapid preventative interventions, specific coaching and assistance.
Our non-clinical approach is aimed at inspiring, coaching, motivating and supporting individuals to experience real and positive change in their lives by "rethinking your thinking". We encourage everyone to engage in their own recovery and find their "rock".
Join our wonderful community of inspirational people from all walks of life, who encourage each other to achieve personal goals, including Service people and Veterans who’ve been affected by stress themselves. We could not provide the support to those who need us without our supporters and fundraisers, some who have used the service and want to give back and others who have been inspired by stories they have heard about the work that we do.
All of us at R2R thank you for your efforts and for every single penny raised, we couldn't do it without you!
Registration Number:
CIC
Website:
https://www.rock2recovery.co.uk/
Recent Donations
Anonymous
16 Oct
No message
Prav
15 Oct
£1,000.00
"Very good to meet with you at Miriam's, Dave. Congratulations again."
Anonymous
14 Oct
£100.00
No message
Anonymous
13 Oct
£10.00
"Amazing effort!"
Julia Ressler
13 Oct
No message
Nicholas Alexander
12 Oct
£5.00
No message
Anonymous
12 Oct
No message
Chris Rowlands
11 Oct
£20.00
"I am in awe of your achievement!"
Anonymous
11 Oct
"Fantastic job! Fantastic work! "
Susan
11 Oct
£50.00
"Incredible feat. Stay well."
Conor
11 Oct
£500.00
No message
VP
11 Oct
£100.00
"I am blown away by your achievement !"
Jonny
11 Oct
£20.00
"Awesome job Dinger. Inspirational."
Abhik
11 Oct
£75.00
"What a colossal achievement! Congratulations, Dinger! "
Richard N-E
11 Oct
£10.00
"Unbelievable fortitude! BZ Dinger."
Tayo Ashaolu
10 Oct
£100.00
"Outstanding!"
David M
10 Oct
£100.00
Dear Dinger, What a unique and magnificent demonstration of The Royal Marine Commando qualities of: i.Courage - to plan and... "Dear Dinger, What a unique and magnificent demonstration of The Royal Marine Commando qualities of: i.Courage - to plan and even start such a challenge, knowing the treacherous conditions. ii.Determination - to keep going through every physical challenge is impressive. I cannot even begin to imagine the mental challenge of the last year. iii. Unselfishness - to help your fellow bootneck brothers, wider Military and Emmergency Services by giving a year of your life to fund a great organisation. As a member of Emmergency Services I do not have the vocabulary to express the gratitude. iv.Cheerfulness in the face of adversity. You and the seagull moment just one of many inspiring and uplifting footages I enjoyed. I hope to meet you at a R2R event one day and share a glass of port ."
Ian & Janie Hawksworth
10 Oct
£1,000.00
Dinger - Congratulations on an absolutely incredible achievement for a fantastic cause. Look forward to celebrating with you som... "Dinger - Congratulations on an absolutely incredible achievement for a fantastic cause. Look forward to celebrating with you sometime. Best Wishes Ian & Janie Hawksworth"
Anonymous
10 Oct
£30.00
I’m in awe of your phenomenal achievement and hope there will be a documentary about your epic voyage at some point. All the be... "I’m in awe of your phenomenal achievement and hope there will be a documentary about your epic voyage at some point. All the best "
Teo
10 Oct
£10.00
No message
Matt
10 Oct
£100.00
"Immense courage, dedication and determination Dinger! Hopefully get the chance to shake your hand."
Vanessa Buchan
09 Oct
£10,000.00
Dear Dave the Legend I have been more inspired by your EPIC, gargantuan achievement and your resilience, bravery and sheer madnes... "Dear Dave the Legend I have been more inspired by your EPIC, gargantuan achievement and your resilience, bravery and sheer madness than I have ever been before. I feel so honoured to have shared a small moment of your first few days on terra firma here in Kenya and to have had that time with you and Georgie - hearing of your adventure first hand was truly inspiring and humbling. What a man you are Dinger, and what a partner you have in Georgie. You both have my deepest respect. Much love Ness x"
Jayne Lawton
09 Oct
£20.00
No message
Anonymous
09 Oct
Congratulations Dinger, I met you through Conrad and have followed your Herculean journey. You are indeed a champion of the mili... "Congratulations Dinger, I met you through Conrad and have followed your Herculean journey. You are indeed a champion of the military. As an American, I support all men who fight for the freedom we enjoy. Thank you!! Rita Bailey"
Anonymous
08 Oct
No message
Anonymous
08 Oct
"Unbelievable presence of mind to complete such a mammoth feat "
Malcolm Topping
08 Oct
£10.00
No message
Terry
08 Oct
£20.00
"Congratulations, an amazing achievement!"
Stephen Thornhill
08 Oct
£10.00
"An amazing achievement BZ Royal hope you get home safely "
Vicki Coughlin
07 Oct
£10.00
No message
Liz Gilmour
07 Oct
£100.00
No message
Chicken
07 Oct
£25.00
Wah gwan Dinger, HUGE CONGRATULATIONS on this epic feat, I hope you’re enjoying the dry land whilst probably planning your n... "Wah gwan Dinger, HUGE CONGRATULATIONS on this epic feat, I hope you’re enjoying the dry land whilst probably planning your next adventure! Take it easy mate "
Penny & Ted
07 Oct
£153.27
"15000 miles, 327 days. Remarkable achievement!!!"
Rich Sandiford
07 Oct
£10.00
No message
Dohle Yachts
07 Oct
"BZ Dinger - Amazing effort and for a brilliant cause"
Peter Heaney
07 Oct
£50.00
"Unbelievable Dinger , superman "
Dudley Spicer
07 Oct
£10.00
"All the best mate! Unbelievable effort!!!"
Kathy Campbell
07 Oct
£20.00
No message
Lorna Edgar
07 Oct
£20.00
"Incredible! Congratulations!"
Leidos Darwin
07 Oct
£200.00
G'day Dinger from your Border Force buddies in Darwin. We all thoroughly enjoyed watching "BILLY NO MATES" row across the top ... "G'day Dinger from your Border Force buddies in Darwin. We all thoroughly enjoyed watching "BILLY NO MATES" row across the top end of Australia and have been keeping track of your journey since then. Congratulations from all of us on a tremendous achievement. We are very happy to make a contribution to Rock2Recovery in recognition of your achievement and the very worthwhile cause behind it. Should your next adventure ever bring you back to Australia please reach out. We'd love the opportunity to welcome you properly and hear some of your stories from the incredible journey. Leidos Darwin"
W Erhardt
06 Oct
£75.00
"We’re in awe of your achievement. Well done."
Jerry Adams
06 Oct
£20.00
"Well done Royal "
Matt johnson
06 Oct
£100.00
"Absolutely Hoofin "
A. Holtrop
06 Oct
No message
Watty
06 Oct
£100.00
"Phenomenal achievement!"
Edward
06 Oct
£20.00
"Simply Outstanding."