Round Britain Sailing Pilgrimage in Aid of Stella Maris
A Southampton sailor has thanked Dunkeld Diocese parishioners for taking him to their hearts – after berthing here recently as part of a 2.5 months long sailing pilgrimage in aid of Stella Maris.
Russ Fairman, along with his intrepid crew members, is a passionate supporter of Stella Maris. He’s been aiming to raise funds and awareness for the work of the charity, a leading global maritime charity which exists to support seafarers and fishers.
This 2,136 nautical miles journey, which got underway on Saturday 29th April in Southampton and climaxed in Portsmouth on Sunday 09 July to mark Sea Sunday, steadily made its way around the UK while stopping at 50 ports.
This Round Britain Sailing Pilgrimage celebrated Stella Maris’ 100 years of service to seafarers and fishers after the charity was founded in St. Aloysius church, Glasgow in 1920.
Local supporters attended a Mass on Monday, 22 May in Our Lady Star of the Sea Church, Tayport. Afterwards, they enjoyed some light refreshments at the nearby Bell Rock Tavern where Maita Crowe, Stella Maris trustee, explained more about the work of the charity.
Dundee-based volunteers Mike Barile and Andrew Laing then sailed a leg of the journey up to Stonehaven the following day where they were greeted by fellow charity supporters on arrival.
Russ said: “It was great to be in Tayport and meet some fantastic people like Mike, Andrew and Maita. We were given such a warm welcome by the Stella Maris team who couldn’t have done more for us.
“There is so much seafaring history in this beautiful part of the world. It has been one of the highlights of the pilgrimage.
“Through this endeavour, we can hopefully raise further the profile of Stella Maris and the wonderful work it does in helping the People of the Sea.”
Russ led the pilgrimage on board the ‘Mintaka’, a 34ft sailboat. He is a RYA/MCA Yacht Master (Commercially Endorsed, Cruising Instructor) with over 30 years sailing experience.
The initiative has captured people’s imagination across the country after it was originally planned to take place in 2020 to mark the charity’s centenary.
Stella Maris provides a range of services to seafarers and fishers, including welfare, practical, and emotional support, pastoral care and chaplaincy services.
It is the largest ship-visiting network in the world, carrying out 70,000 ship visits around the world each year.
For anyone interested in finding out more about Stella Maris or making a donation, please visit www.stellamaris.org.uk