Pirates have been doing it long before me, says Army amputee who sailed Pacific

An Army veteran and the world’s first triple amputee to sail solo, non-stop and unsupported across the Pacific, has thanked charities that helped him after he was badly wounded in an IED blast in Afghanistan. 

Craig Wood, who served in The Rifles, was 18 when he lost a hand and both legs, but has overcome the odds by sailing from Mexico to Japan alone.

He covered 7,506 nautical miles at an average speed of 3.6 knots; all in 90 days. 

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Blesma, the Limbless Veterans charity, has supported Craig since his injury, alongside Turn to Starboard – which helps the Forces community go sailing.

"The beauty of sailing is amputees have been doing it for hundreds of years – pirates have been doing it long before I have," he said.

"When I stepped on board the boat at Turn To Starboard I thought 'oh, they’re going to have to adapt it all for me.' I soon realised they did not change a thing, I went on their normal boat.

"The only difference is the technique in how to do something."

Craig explained this by demonstrating how to pull rope with his prosthetic hook, which actually broke on his voyage.

Other unique challenges also included having to shuffle in the damp when a nighttime emergency alarm was raised, rather than just stepping out and drying his feet.

Having gone through basic training as a rifleman in the British Army, Craig was posted to Afghanistan shortly after his 18th birthday.

Three months into his first tour he lost both legs and his left hand in an blast on 30 July 2009. He also suffered two collapsed lungs, lost 27 pints of blood and his face was ravaged by shrapnel.

It took eight months for Craig to learn to walk again and four-and-a-half years of rehabilitation work at the dedicated Headley Court facility in Surrey to improve his quality of life.  

Recovery involved 20 operations over four years, but his approach mirrors his attitude towards sailing.

"One little goal at a time – I think what the military taught me is 'enter it logically' rather than hype and drama."

Looking ahead to life with a newborn on the way, Craig is raising money for Blesma and Turn to Starboard.

To support Craig’s charity appeal please visit First Triple Amputee to Sail Solo Across the Pacific | givestar.