The crew became the first to row across the Indian Ocean from mainland-to-mainland in a traditional ocean rowing boat, travelling more than 3,600 nautical miles from Geraldton in Western Australia to Kilifi Boat Yard in Kenya.
Matthew Hemmings, who is stationed in Workington and lives in Keswick, was part of the four-man team.
“No tech boosts. No wind power. Just grit, teamwork, and relentless rowing.
“It’s ocean rowing in its truest form.”
This voyage is the first documented mainland-to-mainland row across the Indian Ocean using a classic-class, fully self-propelled rowing vessel.
Their boat, No Great Shakes (NGS), is now the only ocean rowing vessel to have crossed the Atlantic, Pacific, Arctic, and Indian Oceans.
Mr Mason and Mr Hemmings were joined by Matthew Inglesby, and Jake Mattock.
Mr Mattock is the founder of The Adventure Antidote, an organisation that encourages people to reconnect with the outdoors for improved wellbeing.
Mr Inglesby and Mr Hemmings, both with military backgrounds, joined the row to raise awareness of veteran mental health through the Ocean Revival Adventures project.
The crew faced extreme challenges during the crossing, including capsizing, navigation system failures, sleep deprivation, storms, rogue waves, and intense heat.
Nexus Pictures, a UK documentary team, has been filming the expedition since 2020, capturing the full physical and emotional toll of the journey.
Lindsay Mason, Ocean Revival’s media liaison and wife of skipper Matt Mason, said: “Every update I posted, I could feel the world leaning in.
“This journey was built on belief, persistence, and purpose—and it’s been an honour to bring the world along for the ride.”
It marked Mr Mason’s fourth successful ocean row, putting him close to completing the Ocean Rowing Grand Slam and potentially becoming the fastest person in history to achieve it.
The crew took on the row as part of Ocean Revival Adventures, a project designed to highlight veteran mental health through high-impact, endurance-based expeditions.
A behind-the-scenes film, which follows the crew’s full journey, is being planned for release by the documentary team.
