An army veteran has raised more than £90,000 for charity after completing his final journey in his homemade rowing boat.
Michael Stanley, 85, otherwise known as “Major Mick”, first started rowing in his small iron boat five years ago.
The Union Jack-emblazoned second iteration of his boat, which is called The Tintanic II, has rowed over 500 miles, leading “Major Mick” to meet King Charles.
Mr Stanley from Chichester in West Sussex, has rowed across rivers and lakes in the UK, across the Solent, and even rowed down the Seine in Paris.
For the boat’s final journey, a small group of supporters came to see him row from The Hard at Itchenor to Chichester Yacht Club at Birdham.
Although his current rowboat will be retired, he is not hanging up his sailing cap, which is emblazoned with “Captain of the Tintanic”, and plans to build a new sailing boat called Tintanic III.
He said: “Over the winter I’m going to build another boat, this time it will be 24 inches longer than my present boat and will have a sail I hope, my ambition is to sail from Calais to Dover.
“But that’s a pipedream, first of all I will have to see if the boat floats.”
Michael Stanley, 85, otherwise known as “Major Mick”, first started rowing in his small iron boat five years ago along Chichester Canal
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Mr Stanley said his motivations are his enjoyment of being on the water and meeting people.
He also said that he still feels fit and wants to continue being active.
“My daughter calls me eccentric but that’s alright with me, I could be called worse things than that,” he said.
Mr Stanley revealed that he hopes to sail 500 more miles on the Tintanic III, adding: “If I live that long.”
Mr Stanley said his motivations are his enjoyment of being on the water and meeting people
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On his choice to switch to sailing, he noted his age.
He said: “At the age of 85, I feel I need a bit of comfort, and rowing is quite energetic so I thought I would turn my hand to something else.”
He finished his voyage to the yacht club to a salute from a group of rowers and applause from his supporters.
After making a joke about falling in, “Major Mick” added: “I am relieved that I didn’t fall in and it was nice to see so many people to welcome me home.
He finished his voyage to the yacht club to a salute from a group of rowers and applause from his supporters
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“I am a little bit sad but looking forward to next year when I build a sailing boat.”
The 85-year-old’s son, Robin Stanley, 51, said he is proud of everything his dad has accomplished.
He said: “He’s a builder of things and he likes meeting new people and having new adventures – but this is the first of his eccentric projects that have caught national media attention.
“He’s a bit of a Wallace (and Gromit) character, but he shows you can do great things at any age, he’s a lesson for us all.”
His last rowing voyage was in support of St Wilfrid’s Hospice, having previously supported Alzheimer’s Research UK and Children of Edge, a charity that helped children in Ukraine.