‘Major Mick’ launches his fifth and final year of fundraising in Tintanic boat

Army veteran Michael Stanley has so far raised £80,000 in his homemade tin boat.

Army veteran “Major Mick” Stanley has launched his latest charity venture in his homemade “Tintanic” rowing boat after being named JustGiving’s creative fundraiser of the year.

Michael Stanley, 83, was seen off by Earl Marshal, the Duke of Norfolk, as he began his fifth year of rowing the tin boat which he has previously taken as far afield as Paris, across the Solent and to Scotland. He has met the King and the Prime Minister along the way.

Michael Stanley sitting next to his boat during the launch of his new Tintanic rowing challenge at the Black Rabbit pub near Arundel — Michael Stanley, known as Major Mick, poses for a photograph during the launch of his new Tintanic rowing charity challenge at the Black Rabbit pub near Arundel (Andrew Matthews/PA)

He is raising the money for Children on the Edge, a Chichester-based charity which supports an orphanage near Kyiv, Ukraine.

In what he says will be his final year of rowing, Mr Stanley, from Chichester, West Sussex, said he aimed to row another 100 miles in Sussex and Hampshire as well as travel the length of the Isle of Wight from the Needles lighthouse to Bembridge lifeboat station.

Officially starting the challenge on the River Arun in Arundel, he said: “I have done 400 miles since the beginning of Covid and I am going to do another 100 before the end of the year in my fifth and last year of doing it.

“If by the end of the year I can raise another £20,000 that will be splendid.”

Of his plans to take the boat to sea off the Isle of Wight, he said: “I took it over the Solent 18 months ago so I am not frightened and I’m perfectly happy about it, it’s perfectly safe.”

Mr Stanley added that he had not made any improvements to the Tintanic which is in its second iteration.

Michael Stanley charity row — The Duke of Norfolk helps Michael Stanley detach a rig on his boat during the near Arundel (Andrew Matthews/PA)

“It will do well for the summer, it will be a lot of fun.”

On meeting the Duke of Norfolk for the launch event, he added: “It was really nice seeing the Duke of Norfolk who was very hands on and helped me take the boat to pieces afterwards. A very practical man, very charming.”