Sailor nearing end of voyage around every island in England and Wales

A man aiming to sail around every island in England and Wales is nearing the end of his challenge.

Somerset's Stert Island, off Burnham-on-Sea, was the 244th that Ken Fowler has circumnavigated in his dinghy Yoda since starting the challenge in 2019.

He is doing it in memory of his father Eric and to raise money for Cancer Research UK and Oakhaven Hospice.

Mr Fowler estimates that he has 19 islands left to complete the challenge.

The 57-year-old said he had to obtain permission to sail around Stert Island due to the protected birds that live there and that seeing it up close had been "absolutely stunning".

Speaking to BBC Radio Somerset, he explained that after sailing around the back of the island, he had a "very muddy landing" after reaching land in Burnham.

Mr Fowler, a retired air traffic controller who lives in Mudeford, Dorset, is now setting his sights on three islands near Land's End in Cornwall as part of the challenge - which is called Yodare.

He said he was inspired to take on sailing challenges after turning 50 in 2015 when he realised that he had spent more of his life without his dad than with him.

His father died from cancer more than 30 years ago at the age of 50.

"Cancer has been through my family," he said.

"So I kind of want to celebrate his life and turning 50 so I sailed a small dinghy, which is about twice as big as your average bathtub, around the Isle of Wight," added Mr Fowler.

After completing that mission - which raised about £5,000 for Cancer Research and Oakhaven Hospice in Lymington - he began researching other challenges.

He later sailed 865 miles (1,392km) from Land's End to John O'Groats but after falling £13,000 short of his £50,000 fundraising target he decided to take on the islands challenge to make up the difference.

Mr Fowler said he had originally underestimated how many islands he would need to negotiate and has now settled on a figure of 263.

"Nobody's ever done it before and I can kind of understand why now," he said.

"We first thought there were about 180 islands. It turned that there's about 260.

"Luckily I've told friends to stop telling me that they've found another island, because I don't want any more to go onto the total," added Mr Fowler.

Follow BBC West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: [email protected]