AN INTREPID 82-year-old is gearing up to sail around the UK for charity, casting off from Alloa this weekend.
Murdoch McGregor, who for many years was the voice of Alloa Half Marathon, is beginning an epic 1900 nautical mile voyage this Saturday at 3pm to raise funds for Mental Health UK.
A late developer, Murdoch only started sailing some 10 years ago, but proved it is never too late to go on the adventure of a lifetime when he sailed in his small Hunter 23 boat, named Artemis, to Berlin all on his own five years ago.
Murdoch has completed some parts of the journey before, including when he visited London via the North Sea and Oxford.
Since then, he has made annual voyages, including twice to Orkney and Shetland, the abandoned island of St Kilda and much more.
Murdoch has been planning to take on a charity voyage for some time and he has been spurred on by the coronavirus pandemic and its effect on everybody.
However, Mental Health UK is also close to his heart as his younger brother Jim “struggled valiantly” with problems all his life, until he sadly passed away two years ago at the age of 75.
The stigma around mental health has reduced since 60 years ago when Jim first started experiencing issues and Murdoch is hoping to support the good cause so it can help others.
“He will be with me on my voyage”, he said.
“I spent some months with him in hospital and I have nothing but total admiration now for the mental health system, hence my choice for proceeds from my journey.”
Normally, Murdoch casts off from Forth Cruising Club at Limekilns in Fife, however, he will begin the journey from his home town of Alloa where he first got a taste for seafaring adventures as a youngster.
He added: “It's a special voyage, it must start at my birthplace.”
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