‘Safety first’ for Wick rowers as they pause their round-Britain attempt
Long Row Home duo Allan Lipp and Mhairi Ross have decided to “pause” their round-Britain challenge after encountering wild weather off the west coast.
The Wick couple had rowed 1462 nautical miles, with about 226 to go, in their bid to become the first mixed pair to complete an unsupported circumnavigation of the British mainland by rowing boat.
However, after reaching Tobermory on Monday, they were unable to identify a possible weather window that would allow them to get around the exposed Ardnamurchan peninsula in their seven-metre carbon-fibre boat Boudicea any time over the next fortnight.
After seeking advice from the RNLI and other seafaring colleagues, Allan and Mhairi have taken the “very difficult” decision to pause the row and return to Wick and their work.
Allan is coxswain of the Wick lifeboat and Mhairi as a paramedic with the Scottish Ambulance Service, as well as volunteering as a lifeboat navigator.

Allan (45) said: “It has been a very difficult decision to make – but, with no break in the weather, we have had no choice but to pause the row.
“To be clear, we are not abandoning our attempt, we are pausing it for now, and will return to complete the challenge as soon as we can. However, it will not be the unsupported attempt that we had hoped for.”
Mhairi (47) said: “We are so disappointed, but with the difficult weather conditions that we have already endured, and no sign of any let-up in the next two weeks, we have to put safety first and pause the challenge.”
Earlier, in a social media post after reaching the eastern side of the Isle of Mull, the couple acknowledged that they needed to be realistic about their prospects of completing the journey given the rough conditions.
Allan and Mhairi set off from Wick on June 1 on their voyage called Stormy and Steth: The Long Row Home. Initially they hoped it would take them about 60 days.
By Wednesday afternoon they had raised over £44,400 through their JustGiving page, to be divided between the RNLI and Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance.
Mhairi added: “The support we have received has been incredible. A big thank-you goes to all our sponsors, our followers on social media, and to all those who have helped us exceed our fundraising target of £30,000 for the RNLI and Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance.”
The “unsupported” nature of the challenge meant the couple were not allowed to touch land or accept any provisions. Boudicea had been stocked with dehydrated food and a desalination unit for drinking water.
In an update in late July they spoke of the “rollercoaster of emotions” they had gone through. They said they’d had to take shelter and drop anchor, and sit out the weather, for more time than they ever imagined but had been boosted by the “phenomenal support” from the public.
In a recent Q&A with the John O’Groat Journal and Caithness Courier, Allan and Mhairi said: “On a good day there is nowhere better to be than out on the sea. But when times get tough it is actually the thought of everyone that is supporting us that keeps both of us going, as we don’t want to let anyone down.”