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Skipper Mike Rowney - seagull17@optusnet.com.au 124 Rochdale Road, Mt Claremont, WA 6010 +61 (0) 427 179 017

Sailing Credentials and Experience For thirteen years before my accident in June 2001, I worked on the ocean to make a living. I began as a deckhand in the Greek Isles doing yacht deliveries and then moved on to obtaining my skipper's license. I worked as a yacht delivery skipper, a charter skipper and a base manager for Vernicos Yachts. I also ran a dive boat out of Hurgada in the Gulf of Suez/Red Sea for a period. After moving to England, I worked for a yacht company in Hamble as a bosun and skipper. I then moved to Australia in 1996 and worked for some time on an eco-tour catamaran in Monkey Mia, W.A. For three years I alternated between being a mate on a long line tuna boat and a skipper for a pearl company in the Kimberlys of Northwest Australia.

U/S/L-MARINE ENGINE DRIVER -GRADE 2 U/S/L -OPEN WATER COXSWAIN U/S/L-ELEMENTS OF SHIPBOARD SAFETY A/Y/F YACHT -MASTER -OFFSHORE R/Y/A DAY AND COASTAL SKIPPER RESTRICTED RADIO OPERATOR

Special Thanks To

Mark Loader for believing in me, helping me and motivating me from that night long ago in Carnarvon, when this trip was first conceived. And thanks to the Variety West Coast 2005 Splash Committee who have given their consent for me to travel north in the company of the fleet. However I must make note of the following - I will not be an entry in the event, and the committee does not encourage Solo Sailors as participants in the event. Although I will not be an official entry to that event, the company and camaraderie of the fleet of boats moving north will be of invaluable support to me both mentally and physically, during the first section of my circumnavigation, which will no doubt be the hardest part of my journey. I value this support, and respect the event and its participants, as like myself they are sailing for charity. I am a proud member of Sailability W.A., and have received a lot of support and encouragement from the organisation, which is based out of Royal Perth Yacht Club in Crawley. Sailability is an organisation that spoils the disabled with access to the majestic Swan River. It affords all levels of disability with boats and equipment that give the disabled community the thrill and freedom of sailing. Rachael Cox, the Sailability coordinator, is at hand 4 days a week at Royal Perth Yacht Club to help people get involved with the organisation. Rachel has a great outlook on life. Being disabled herself, she can directly relate to one's needs as a disabled sailor, and get you out onto the water. Over the years this group of disabled sailors has achieved a lot. In the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games, the late Noel Robbins led the W.A. team to victory in the sonar class. Noel, who was an incomplete quadriplegic, held many yachting titles, including skippering an America Cup Challenge. I joined Sailability one week after leaving hospital and had the honour on occasion to sail with the great late Noel Robbins. Sadly Noel died tragically in a car accident while training a team for the recent Athens Olympics. He certainly left his mark on me and I learnt the determination that one needs as a disabled person to carry on with life from seeing what he had achieved. Jamie Dunnross, Colin Harrison and Geoff Milligan carried on what Noel begun and competed in the sonar class of the Athens 2004 Paralympic Games. They achieved 5th place in a 30-boat fleet, which is a great achievement. Graham White, the RPYC liaison officer for Sailability, has been of great help and support for me in this venture. He has kept the club informed on my activities and I must give Graham personal thanks for his support. Rachael can be contacted at (08) 9423 5526 if anyone is interested in joining this group and the great sport of sailing. I would just like to express a special thank you to Lynne Davies, Chris Gaudet and the team at Boating Hardware for the huge effort they have put in on my behalf to help me with advising and contacting sponsors. Hopefully their efforts will be rewarded by seeing a lot of wheelchairs being made for disadvantaged disabled children in developing countries. Thanks guys! To Neil Darch and Ted Smith for the spending a day every week for over 8 months helping to get this project going - crawling around in those places in the boat I battled to reach, listening to my grumbles on a bad day, and always encouraging me. Thanks for believing in me. To Noel McKay for lending me a helping hand and most of his workshop of tools. Thanks Noel I couldn't have managed as easily without your kindness and generosity. To Mark loader who has been there with me on this story from its conception in 2002. And for the good humour and the massive effort he made, thanks Mark. To Jan Barrie for pitching in to help with the media. To Tracy Patzner who deciphered my emails and got this great site going. To my nephew, Haydn, for designing the graphics on this site. To the Sea Scouts of Pelican Point for helping in the prep work for painting the boat. To the group from Christchurch Grammar who came and helped rub down the hull. To Steve Stratfold who spent days working to get the boat ready for spraying and doing the spray work. To Paul Stratfold for pitching in at a time when I really needed some help. To Rowan Chick for helping in the transport of the boat. To Patrick Stewart and his wife, Andrea, for putting their holiday on hold while Patrick hauled my engine out and reconditioned it. To Silje Solheim and the film crew who worked hard to make a documentary. To Alex Dent who gave me moral support and organised a fundraiser in Shark Bay, W.A. To my sister, Anne, who believed in me, supported me, and did everything from run errands to help clean the inside of the boat. Thanks, Anne, for the help you have given me over the years and with this project. To my nephew, Anthony, who pitched in and gave me a hand whenever I asked. To all my sponsors who made this venture become a reality. Without whom I could never have managed to put such a big project together on such a small budget.

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