A big update!

It’s time to talk about the next project! ...and, I want to ask your opinion about something important...

Firstly, the trip on Tally Ho this summer was incredible and life-changing. Hopefully the videos do it justice, but I know I didn’t record all the emotions I was feeling. Every morning I would pinch myself - am I really sailing on Tally Ho?! This monumental change, after 7 years of working towards it, is still sinking in. More than anything I’m incredibly grateful for everyone who helped us get this far.

The shakedown cruise this summer has been about testing Tally Ho, identifying issues, and learning how to operate the vessel, which is all in preparation for the next massive challenge - sailing halfway around the world in time for the 2027 Fastnet race. I can’t over-emphasise how daunting this journey is. I do have some ocean sailing experience, but Tally Ho is a unique and labour-intensive boat, and the distances involved in this trip are far greater than any I’ve done before. Simply choosing the route to avoid tropical storm areas is a challenge in itself! Over the course of the very long journey, there are all sorts of difficulties that could arise, and there’s absolutely no guarantee that I’ll make it back at all. Either way, there will be many things to learn, lots of work to do, and hopefully some great stories to tell.

This summer trip has also been about working out how to make good, engaging videos now that Tally Ho is sailing. Generally the reception to the sailing videos has been good, but I’m definitely still figuring it out and learning from my mistakes!

My goal now is for this project and the videos that accompany it to be more focussed on the challenge of sailing Tally Ho to the UK, with a particular focus on teaching traditional sailing, rigging, and navigational skills. This is going to take some work, and I’m going to have to re-learn some skills in order to be able to teach them properly - but I think it’s an important part of Tally Ho’s mission.

The other big challenge around this trip is to try to keep it financially stable - I really hope that the videos I make continue to be engaging and educational enough to attract support. If I fail in that regard, I’ll do my best to keep creating content, but may have to spend my time doing other work! Of course my expenses should be a bit lower now that Tally Ho has been launched, but it’s still very expensive to keep a boat like this going and I’ve already lost a lot of the support that I had (which I totally understand - and I’m so very grateful to everyone who supported this project for any amount of time!)

In order to try and keep the videos engaging and interesting and sustainable, I really want to know what YOU think of the above plan. And if you’ve never commented before, I’m even more desperate for your opinion, because the silent masses make up the majority. What would make future videos interesting for you? What engages you and what turns you off? What about this project makes you support it and do you feel that changing? I’m all ears.

As we navigate into the next chapter of this story, at least one thing remains constant - I remain SO grateful for all of your support, and SO grateful to be in my current position. The generosity and support I’ve encountered during this project has pushed me onwards through challenges that seemed impossible, and has shown me repeatedly that regardless of what we see on the news, the world is full of positivity and kindness.

…Tally Ho!