Major Mick completes charity rowing challenge on homemade 'Tintantic'
Report by ITV News Meridian's Ravneet Nandra:
A retired army major from West Sussex has completed his charity rowing challenge to row 100 miles in his homemade tin boat.
Michael Stanley, who is known as Major Mick, served in The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards for 35 years.
Using skills gained in the army, he made his boat called 'The Tintanic' from two sheets of corrugated iron, a hosepipe and curtain hooks.
Since lockdown, he planned to row down the Chichester canal from Hunston to Chichester Basin, and return, twice a week until he clocked in the 100 miles.
He was originally hoping to raise £1,000 for St Wilfrid's Hospice, but has smashed his target with more than £33,000 in donations for the charity providing end-of-life care.
The hospice has said it is deeply grateful for what he has done.
Family and friends gathered by the canal to clap as Mick returned to shore, with his grandson playing the trumpet.
Back on dry land, Major Mick told ITV News Meridian: "I feel really good, very fit. My fingers are a bit stiff but that's probably because it takes a thousand strokes of the oars to do a mile, so I've done 105,000 strokes so maybe that's why they're stiff!"
"St Wilfrid's has been here in Chichester for 30 years and it's desperate for funds and I just felt it was a good way of raising funds, and for me, it has been a complete pleasure talking to people on the towpath and hearing their stories - and I've had a lot of laughs!"