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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
£69,141.64 Raised
Target: £100,000.00
69%
Total Raised
£69,142
Total Target: £100,000.00
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
27 Sep
£30.00
"One stroke at a time mate, you've got this. "
Sp
27 Sep
£20.00
"Awesome achievement "
Mair Harper
27 Sep
£20.00
"This is beyond comprehension "
John Morton
27 Sep
£100.00
"Absolutely incredible"
Christine Duncan
27 Sep
£10.00
"Amazing!"
Norm
27 Sep
£20.00
"Love from a fellow vet. "
Anonymous
27 Sep
£20.00
No message
Kev Q
27 Sep
£50.00
"What a guy and what a journey. "
Arthur Hoare
27 Sep
£20.00
"What an amazing watch. Such an achievement. Looking forward to seeing safe on dry land."
Jan J.
27 Sep
£50.00
Very pleased to have come across this, even so late; will now backtrack to catch up on progress to date. Full of admiration for yo... "Very pleased to have come across this, even so late; will now backtrack to catch up on progress to date. Full of admiration for you Dinger - only a Royal would even think of taking on such a challenge. Very best wishes, Jan J. NB: Jim MacDonald told me about you when I visited Southampton boat show last Wednesday."
TheClayAdvantage.com
27 Sep
£20.00
"Legend "
Hilary Gault
27 Sep
£50.00
"Fantastic, nearly there!"
Jim H
27 Sep
£200.00
No message
No
27 Sep
"Why isn’t this all over the breakfast news?! Someone tell the tv people! "
Jackie and John
27 Sep
£50.00
"What an incredible journey and feat of endurance. Keep going Dave and fair winds! "
Simon Chapman
27 Sep
£10.00
"Awesome effort - inspiration al!!! "
Anne
27 Sep
£5.00
"I’ve enjoyed following your journey thank you! An incredible feat that rests solely with you, well done Dave "
Simon Perkins
27 Sep
£50.00
"Well done my old mate, crack on to the end "
Davyboy
27 Sep
£10.00
"Wow"
Luke
27 Sep
£20.00
"What a man and what a journey! Loved keeping up to date with it all! Keep smashing it, last few hundred miles to go! "
Steve
27 Sep
£1,000.00
"Go for it brother! Animal! "
J Dev
27 Sep
£10.00
"Outstanding work for a great cause. Well done Dinger! "
Smudge
27 Sep
£10.00
"Hoofing effort “Dinger!” Gerald Arthur Cooper! Aka Smudge "
Shawn
26 Sep
£20.00
No message
Alexander Whyte
26 Sep
£20.00
"Outstanding achievement Dinger. "
Fergus
26 Sep
£50.00
"Fantastic job Royal. Thanks for your service.......and the epic effort going into this passage. Truly impressive. "
Justin James
26 Sep
£10.00
No message
Anonymous
26 Sep
£10.00
No message
Mark Peary
26 Sep
£10.00
No message
Mark Eaton
26 Sep
No message
Secure Forests
26 Sep
"Simply Incredible!!"
Amz
26 Sep
£10.00
I was lucky enough to witness the end of one of your challenges a few years ago by chance and have followed since then. I am also ... "I was lucky enough to witness the end of one of your challenges a few years ago by chance and have followed since then. I am also an emergency worker who has lost colleagues to suicide the effects of which have a far-reaching impact, so this donation I hope will truly save lives. You are incredible! Keep going. Nearly there!"
Patricia Roe
26 Sep
£20.00
"Keep Going Dave, I am proud to donate for your most worthy cause and will tell others if they don't know already"
adrianwhitehead
26 Sep
£100.00
"Fantastic effort for a great cause, well done Dave! "
Anonymous
26 Sep
£10.00
No message
Connor & Laura
26 Sep
£50.00
"An awesome effort Royal and for a great cause. It's all downhill from here Dinger"
Jill Butler
26 Sep
£10.00
You’re amazing. Saw you land at Newlyn a few years ago after one of your trips and followed you ever since. Good luck with the f... "You’re amazing. Saw you land at Newlyn a few years ago after one of your trips and followed you ever since. Good luck with the fund raising !"
Anonymous
26 Sep
"Very well done! Hope to follow in your footsteps!"
James E
26 Sep
£10.00
No message
MJ
26 Sep
£10.00
"Epic row and a brilliant charity. Following the journey and happy to support. Fair winds, Dinger."
Anonymous
26 Sep
"Epic achievement Dave, fantastic effort. Blessed be "
Garry Crone
26 Sep
£20.00
Epic journey. Dinger. Well done. I lived in Seychelles for two years. They will look after you. The Head of Defence is Col. Micha... "Epic journey. Dinger. Well done. I lived in Seychelles for two years. They will look after you. The Head of Defence is Col. Michael Rosette a brilliant guy. Hopefully the British Embassy will look after you."
Rex Rutland
26 Sep
£20.00
"Keep going! Imagine how that first beer will taste! "
Axel Foley RM
26 Sep
£50.00
"Hoofin effort Royal."
Andrew Turner
26 Sep
£10.00
Dave, I’ve been following your progress throughout. An excellent charity, happy to be part of this effort. Andy Coast and Countr... "Dave, I’ve been following your progress throughout. An excellent charity, happy to be part of this effort. Andy Coast and Country Walking - East Devon "