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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
£33,320.00 Raised
Target: £50,000.00
67%
Total Raised
£33,320
Total Target: £50,000.00
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
Dom
07 Sep
£20.00
"Nearly there mate… truly, truly awesome. "
Col
06 Sep
£50.00
"Awesome commitment to an extraordinary colossal row. You’ve got this Dave. "
Mitch
06 Sep
£50.00
"Bloody amazing. Kudos. But don't stop at MAU, come to KE"
Hoppy
05 Sep
£100.00
No message
David Cockroft
05 Sep
£20.00
"Crazy! But awesome ....well done Dinger "
Anonymous
05 Sep
No message
Anonymous
05 Sep
"Good speed Dinger, fair winds and calm seas."
John
05 Sep
£20.00
"An impressive and selfless journey in order to help others. I wish you well"
Anonymous
05 Sep
"Good effort Royal!"
Alan & Hilary
04 Sep
£100.00
"Keep going Davo, you're amazing!"
Gair
04 Sep
£50.00
It's been great following your progress. From a quote I have had engraved on hip flasks gifted to friend before their expedition... "It's been great following your progress. From a quote I have had engraved on hip flasks gifted to friend before their expeditions, "More wilderness travellers are killed by over-confidence than bears" - Safe travels and be careful! "
Paul & Clare
04 Sep
£100.00
"Last stretch now mate, bring it home!!"
Steve Powell
03 Sep
£10.00
"Wow!!…loving it. What a selfless risky journey….for a brilliant cause. Good luck."
Gracie
03 Sep
£20.00
Well done Dinger!! What an amazing thing you’re doing both personally and for others!! As a Mauritian myself, I know you will ha... "Well done Dinger!! What an amazing thing you’re doing both personally and for others!! As a Mauritian myself, I know you will have the most amazing reception from people once you get there!! Well deserved!!"
Mark @ Mercury
03 Sep
£150.00
"Outstanding challenge, incredible cause."
Kenny W
03 Sep
£50.00
"Awesome effort Dinger…. Love many, trust few, always paddle your own canoe "
Hayley Group
02 Sep
£100.00
No message
Anonymous
02 Sep
£10.00
No message
Phil
02 Sep
£20.00
Amazing what you’re doing mate hats off to you not only for this but also your service. The mental strength you must have to tak... "Amazing what you’re doing mate hats off to you not only for this but also your service. The mental strength you must have to take this on is something else. All the best, Phil & Emma in North Yorkshire. "
Duncan
02 Sep
"Well done Dinger. You're making it look straightforward, but I'm sure it's anything but."
Robbie
02 Sep
£20.00
"Hi Dave if you’re rowing past Melbourne on your way back give us a shout and I’ll treat you to a bevy…"
Masher
02 Sep
£20.00
No message
Sam
02 Sep
£30.00
Dinger you’re an absolute legend! Congratulations on such a show of courage, grit, humility and strength. Been amazing to follow... "Dinger you’re an absolute legend! Congratulations on such a show of courage, grit, humility and strength. Been amazing to follow your journey and show my kids. Keep up the great work for the final push. Well done!"
Lucy
01 Sep
£10.00
No message
Marc
01 Sep
£20.00
No message
Pip webb
01 Sep
£20.00
"Congratulations on this awesome challenge, seriously in Ore…. Of you, Bad joke sorry . "
Ian
01 Sep
£20.00
No message
Sam
01 Sep
£10.00
"This is the most epic rowing journey I've ever followed! Dave, you are a legend! "
Tompkins Rich
01 Sep
"Nails ! Bravo! "
Trevor .Leigh
31 Aug
£20.00
"Good.on you"
Rich Kenworthy
31 Aug
£50.00
No message
Steve D
31 Aug
£50.00
"Incredible Dinger "
Phill Allen
30 Aug
£20.00
Hi Dinger Saw your massive effort thanks to Foxy’s page. What a totally bonkers idea but a herculean and awesome effort. Con... "Hi Dinger Saw your massive effort thanks to Foxy’s page. What a totally bonkers idea but a herculean and awesome effort. Congratulations and keep it up. You are an inspiration to us all. Phill "
Kenny Nicolson
30 Aug
£20.00
No message
Nick
30 Aug
£20.00
No message
Alex
30 Aug
£100.00
No message
David Dixon
29 Aug
£20.00
No message
Mart Molloy
29 Aug
£10.00
"Top effort Royal "
Sean Phillips
29 Aug
£100.00
Keep going. Very inspiring. I had to walk 2km in the heat the other day and was about to start complaining when I remembered what ... "Keep going. Very inspiring. I had to walk 2km in the heat the other day and was about to start complaining when I remembered what you are doing! To state the obvious, what you’re doing is both a massive physical and massive mental challenge, totally belied by the calmness of your character in your daily updates. It’s really impressive. Godspeed."
Anonymous
28 Aug
No message
CRAIG
28 Aug
£10.00
"You are amazing! Keep it up and good luck."
Kevin Quinn
28 Aug
£25.00
"Keep up the great work! I wish I came accross your epic journey sooner! You should be proud what an amazing achievement!!! "
Gregory Ray
28 Aug
£10.00
"You are an inspiration!"
Scott
28 Aug
£10.00
No message
Helga
28 Aug
£50.00
No message
Yes
28 Aug
£10.00
"Remarkable challenge following with interest."
Ben Farrell
27 Aug
£35.00
"Great job Dinger - man of steel, keep it up. "