Voyage begins for university Chaplain
Reverend Chris Baker, a chaplain at the University of Greenwich, has set sail around the UK this week to raise money for students facing financial hardship.
Chris is sailing on his own Achilles 24 Meltemi boat for the 1,500 mile, 42 day, trip. The boat relies entirely on wind and sea energy to power the onboard systems.
The university’s Reverend Jeremy Frost and Bishop of Woolwich, Christopher Chessun, gathered on the bank of the River Thames with Chris’ wife and friends, where special prayers were said to wish him a safe journey.
Chris will stop at various places to rest along his journey. He will continue to sail anti-clockwise, passing many ports along the east coast of England including Norfolk and Holy Island. He will end his voyage in Medway, where the University of Greenwich also has a campus.
Chris will be alone for the duration of the trip, and says that for him it is a “spiritual journey” and he will use his time well. He plans to keep a diary of his time spent sailing. The diary can be found at: http://twitter.com/GreenwichAlumni
The Alumni and Development department at the university have expressed their gratitude for Chris’ hard work. Mark Hainy, Head of Alumni and Development at the University of Greenwich, says: “We are extremely grateful to Chris for his dedication, bravery and commitment as he undertakes his challenge to help make a difference at the University of Greenwich.”
Chris Baker says: “When preparing the boat I used basic electronics, no auto pilot or anything as I wanted to keep it seaworthy. I have never attempted a journey like this before and this is my longest and furthest yet. Although this may seem crazy to some, I want to sail single-handedly around the world sometime in the future.”
The university’s Alumni Development Fund helps students in serious financial hardship, provides specialist learning resources and helps support dyslexic and disabled students.
Chris is funding the whole trip out of his own pocket, so all money received will go direct to those who need it most. He hopes to raise funds for the people he meets in everyday life in his role of university chaplain. To sponsor Chris, visit: www.justgiving.com/around-the-coast2010
Ends
For further information, please contact:
Ruby Evans
Assistant Press Officer
University of Greenwich
020 8331 9420
Notes to editors:
Photo caption: Reverend Jeremy Frost (left), Chris Baker and Bishop Christopher Chessun (right) discuss the voyage.