Pilgrimage and miracles under sail

At Oban Marina

There was not much room below the deck of the 34ft yacht as I bowed my head to follow Russ Fairman down into the cramped cabin of Mintaka. The cabin was smaller than that of Héloïse, our own yacht moored further down the pontoon in Oban Marina, and I wondered how Russ and his rotating crew of sometimes up to six managed in such a confined space during some of the longer, and more difficult, legs of their voyage.

Seating myself opposite Russ, I took in my surroundings. The galley at one end, a small cabin at the other, and the chart table in between. In front of me was a statue of Our Lady of Walsingham - presented to Russ by the Catholic Deacon at Walsingham - and on the wall hung a rosary donated by one of the previous crew members. Mintaka also carried a replica of the Stella Maris icon which, appropriately enough for a sailing pilgrimage, represented Our Lady, Star of the Sea.

Russ was on the seventh leg of his Round Britain Sailing Pilgrimage to mark the centenary of the Catholic seafarers' charity, Stella Maris. My husband (an experienced sailor) and I (a passable crew member) had been following Russ's progress on Facebook since he left Southampton on his 2,433-mile circumnavigation of the British Isles on 29 April.

Inspired by the missionary voyages of the Celtic saints, Russ planned a route which took in numerous holy places - including the holy isles of Lindisfarne and Iona - and acknowledged the presence of other important Christian sites and pilgrimage routes on the way. Prayers were said for the coastal communities and towns they visited, and Russ and his crew were welcomed enthusiastically at 22 port-side gatherings, including the reception we attended at Oban on the northwest coast of Scotland. Part prayer journey, part evangelising mission, and part awareness-raising for Stella Maris, the ten-week voyage is described by Russ as 'a prayer hug around Britain.'

It was after nine o'clock in the evening when we were welcomed aboard Mintaka. And yet, even after a day at sea, the indefatigable Russ was in buoyant spirits and eager to tell us about Stella Maris, the Catholic charity which had been caring for the practical, emotional, and spiritual welfare of fishers and seafarers since 1920. Founded in Glasgow, and first known as the Apostleship of the Sea, Stella Maris carries out ship visits across the globe, helping seafarers and their families in need across 54 countries.

As well as the Stella Maris insignia, Mintaka flew flags bearing a Celtic cross and a dove representing the Holy Spirit. Russ told us how, much to his delight, he'd recently discovered that the white dove was also the symbol of St Columba, the saint of Iona who featured prominently on the Scottish part of the voyage, and not least in one of the 'mini miracles' which occurred as the yacht rounded Ardnamurchan, the most westerly point of the British Isles.

"Our electronic wind vane packed up at Dundee," Russ told us. "In Lochboisdale, Fr Ross Crichton presented us with a bottle of blessed holy water from St Columba's miraculous well in Ardnamurchan, to be carried for protection in the prow of the boat. On rounding Ardnamurchan Point a few days later, a crew member reminded me that this was the place of St Columba's well. I felt compelled to ask St Columba to intercede for us, and at the very moment I said 'St Columba prayer for us' the electronic wind vane sprang back into life! It's remained working to this day."

We met up with Russ and his crew again the next morning for Mass at Oban Cathedral, fittingly dedicated to St Columba. The crew, the welcoming committee, and a handful of parishioners and supporters took their place in the nave of the spacious Victorian church while the Stella Maris icon was placed in front of the altar. Fr James gave an erudite homily on the subject of pilgrimage, and the service finished with the rousing Stella Maris hymn, sung with gusto by Russ and his crew.

There followed a reception, a spot of provisioning, and Mintaka was off again, heading towards the island of Eileach An Naoimh ('Rock of the Saint') in the Firth of Lorne, the reputed burial place of Columba's mother.

As we said our goodbyes - ships passing in the night - I was struck by a pang of sadness. In true pilgrim spirit, Russ and his crew had made us so welcome that I felt bereft when we went our separate ways. As on any pilgrimage, bonds of friendship are made, and for the crew living, sleeping, eating, and working together in a confined environment out at sea, this sense of pilgrim fellowship - or 'communitas' as the anthropologist Victor Turner called it - must have been profound.

Russ explained how sailing is particularly conducive to pilgrimage. "You're out in God's creation, and you're made to feel a little bit vulnerable. In fact, the pilgrimage experience is enhanced by being at sea. Spending time at sea in prayer is transformative, and life changing for many."

Most of Russ's volunteer crew were novice sailors, and many attested to their experience being life changing. Some continued their sailing prayer life at home, one became a volunteer for Stella Maris, and others discovered hidden depths within themselves. No doubt voicing the thoughts of many, one crew member recalled, "I found a little piece of me along the way."

While the sailing pilgrimage came to a conclusion on 9 July with jubilant celebrations at Portsmouth, the prayer journey will continue. Throughout next year, each port Russ visited this summer will take it in turns to dedicate a week to prayer and fundraising activities on behalf of Stella Maris, effectively creating another 'prayer hug around Britain' as a virtual pilgrimage.

Tides of Blessing: A Sailing Pilgrimage Around the UK, describing Russ's first round-Britain sailing pilgrimage, was published by New Life Publishing in 2022.

LINKS

Sailing Pilgrimage Facebook page: www.facebook.com/SailingPilgrimages

Stella Maris: www.stellamaris.org.uk

Tides of Blessing by New Life Publishing: www.abebooks.com/9781912237371/Tides-Blessing-Sailing-Pilgrimage-Around-1912237377/plp