Craig Wood, a 33-year-old triple amputee and Blesma Member, is currently undertaking a high-stakes solo sail across the Pacific Ocean — an extraordinary 7,000-mile journey from Mexico to Japan. Setting off from Puerto Vallarta on 25 March aboard his 41ft aluminium catamaran Sirius II, Craig hopes to reach Osaka by early June, navigating tight timelines to avoid Japan’s typhoon season.
Speaking from near Hawaii on Friday, Craig shared the mounting risks of his voyage:
“The longer it takes me, the more in danger I am.”
Despite the difficulties, including a recent mechanical issue, Craig remains resolute.
“I noticed during a routine check that water had gotten into my starboard engine,” he explained. “This isn’t a concern at the moment, as I am sailing, but I will need the engine once I arrive in Japan to enter the harbour. I’ve spent some time working on it and will hopefully get it sorted beforehand.”
Despite the mounting pressures, Craig remains focused on the significance of his mission.
“It’ll be a huge sense of achievement and emotional to be with my family again,” he said.
The father of two has endured weeks of solitude at sea, and while he anticipated frequent sightings of marine wildlife, his experience has been different than expected.
“I was quite surprised at this,” he admitted. “I was thinking it would be wildlife, wildlife, wildlife. I thought ‘oh, I’m going to see loads of birds, best get a book’ but that’s not been the case.”
As he pushes on towards Japan, Craig is becoming increasingly cautious about the weather conditions. “I’ll be getting slightly more apprehensive about the weather the closer to Japan I get,” he said.
Craig lost both legs and his left hand in an explosion while serving in Afghanistan at just 18 years old.
Now, more than a decade later, he is taking on one of the world’s great sailing challenges to raise £50,000 in support of veterans’ charities Blesma and Turn to Starboard.
