British Adventurer Nears Historic 18,000-Mile Solo Ocean Row
By Filipa Gaspar
A former British Royal Marine is on the cusp of making history, set to become the first person to complete an 18,000-mile, non-stop, and unsupported solo rowing expedition across two oceans.
Dave “Dinger” Bell, 54, departed Lima, Peru, on November 9. In the more than 300 days since, he has navigated the vast Pacific, braved the treacherous Coral Sea and Torres Strait, and rowed deep into the Indian Ocean—all without once setting foot on land or receiving outside assistance.
Bell is currently less than 900 nautical miles from his final destination in Kilifi, Kenya. He estimates that, weather permitting, he will reach the coast within the next 12 to 17 days. If successful, he will shatter the current Guinness World Record for the longest non-stop solo ocean row, significantly surpassing the 7,145-mile record previously held by Jacob Adoram Hendrickson.
For Bell, the journey has been as much a test of mental fortitude as it has been a physical ordeal. He candidly admits that the early weeks were the most difficult, marked by the crushing reality of his isolation. “I remember the last time [my partner, Georgie] looked back at me [in Peru] and it absolutely killed me,” Bell said. “The first few weeks were terrible, and I really struggled with the pointlessness of it all.”
The physical toll reached a breaking point in the Coral Sea, where he faced a harrowing “knockdown” that flooded his boat, damaged his electronics, and left him battling painful salt sores. “The Coral Sea kicked my ass,” he recalled. “By the end of it, I was emotionally fried and physically broken.”
Despite the hardships, Bell credits his 20-year career in the Royal Marines for providing the discipline needed to survive in such extreme conditions. “The training you do in the Marines is designed to push you to the point where you think you can’t go on,” he explained. “It teaches you that there is normally more left in the tank than you think.”
While Bell is the one on the boat, he insists the achievement is a collaborative effort. He has relied heavily on a support team, including his weather router, his boatbuilder, and his partner, Georgie, who has served as the expedition’s project manager and emotional anchor.
The feat is being performed to raise funds for Rock2Recovery, a charity dedicated to supporting veterans and emergency service personnel.
Looking ahead to his arrival in Kenya, Bell says he has no intention of pivoting to a career as a full-time adventurer. “I can’t wait to go back to normal life,” he said. “I’m not trying to build a profile or launch a business. I just want to get home and spend time with Georgie.”
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