RETIRED outdoor education instructor Alan Currans is setting sail to raise funds for the Aisling Centre in Enniskillen.
He is planning on travelling around Scotland and Ireland to raise funds for the Centre’s psychotherapy and counseling services.
Alan is undertaking this voyage in memory of friends who died by suicide.
“Between 2006 and 2015, my friendship groups lost four loved ones to suicide. Within those family and friendship groupings, the effects are still felt today,” he explained.
“I am privileged to have known and spent many happy hours with my missing friends. They were all special people in their own right and are still missed today.”
Alan has loved the great outdoors from a young age and has been sailing for the majority of his life.
The epic route he will be taking is 1,800 nautical miles and will begin from Donegal Bay, go around the North of Ireland, and then the North of Scotland completing a clockwise circulation.
“The journey will at least take, if things go well, around 93 days but if things aspire against us it could be maybe 120 days,” he said.
“I’m hoping to sail as much of it as possible but anyone who has completed a journey by sailboat will know that there will be parts you will have to motor simply because there is no wind or you are fighting against a strong tide with a strong wind and can’t make progress,” he added.
He sets sail on the voyage on 28th April tides permitting and will return to these shores mid-late July. The journey will come with many challenges which Alan has been preparing for.
“There is all the unexpected challenges such as weather and tides, sea state and passage planning, crew changes and avoiding hitting rocks and other boats,” he laughed.
“There will be friends and some of the bereaved families joining me for different stages, at the same time I have prepared the boat and prepared myself in order to complete parts of the journey and if necessary the whole journey on my own but I know that won’t happen.”
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