Paul Ridley's trans-Atlantic expedition began in the Canary Islands in December, 2008. The rowboat is just over 19 feet long, with solar power for survival equipment, navigation and communication systems. So why would a guy do this ? After the death of their mother to skin cancer in 2001, both Paul and his sister Joy decided to raise money for cancer research and he enjoys boating. I personally think this is a great way to raise both money and awareness for skin cancer. With many charities in existence most people don't know which ones to give to, so by doing something the media will take notice of, draws attention and discussion to the cause. He spoke with his father Mark Ridley daily, Paul would tell his father what he accomplished that day, and he didn't want to talk about the finish, they spoke mostly about the task at hand. The 3000 mile trip ended in Antigua, the effort had raised about $100,000, but Ridley isn't letting that deter him. He believes more contributions will roll in as the row is completed and media attention increases. "Sure, an ocean row for a great cause is hard to top," he said. "But I'm still only 25, and it would be against my personality if I never did anything else."
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