DAY 48 – SCOTT BLANEY'S FINAL BLOG

It feels great to count down the hours and the miles. It is a big morale boost to know that we are almost there. For most of the crossing I had felt confident that we would make it but we did have a few scares. When the auto-helm broke I did worry that we would be down to one rower for the whole crossing. One rowing and one hand-steering would have been a horrible routine. Luckily we managed to fix it. But the most important bit of equipment is my leg - it has never let me down.

Best and worst bits

The first few weeks of the race were horrendous. We had such as slow start and the weather was absolutely shit! But the best part has being part of this team - it is the chats and being with the lads that I have enjoyed the most. Sunset and sunrise have been pretty amazing too.

What lessons have I learnt?

1. Waterproof kit is important. It all looks very tropical now but we spent so much time in our waterproofs. Without the amazing Musto kit we would have been in big trouble.

2. You can achieve a lot more than you think. This crossing has proved to me what you can achieve with the will to carry on.

3. Family and friends are the most important thing. What has kept me going through this whole thing has been thinking about my family. I have also thought a lot about my friends and their last minutes.

What will this mean to me?

A lot.

Personally, the most important thing is knowing that I have helped others. Raising money for this cause is really important. It’s been a great personal achievement and it has made me more ambitious but the greatest achievement is doing something to sort the wounded lads out.

I won’t wish away the time after this and I have learnt a lot about enjoying simple things. The nights are amazing and they remind you not to rush through life.

Every child is born with dreams, but they become men when they achieve them.

This achievement has also been the experience of a lifetime.