A hilarious video shows a Scotland’s Home of the Year judge assessing a tiny ocean rowing boat. Danny Campbell is an architect and interior designer that appears on the popular BBC Scotland series alongside fellow judges Anna Campbell-Jones and Banjo Beale.
But it wasn’t a run-of-the-mill home that Danny took a look at most recently, instead he toured a small boat ahead of its potentially record-breaking voyage later this year. In the tongue-in-cheek clip, Campbell can be seen casting his architectural eye over the design of the rowing boat before it sets sail across the Pacific Ocean row in April.
The vessel will be steered by the world record-breaking Maclean Brothers from Edinburgh, who previously made history and broke three world records in January 2020 when they crossed the Atlantic.
They are now set to go even further by attempting a non-stop 14,000-kilometre row from Lima in Peru to Sydney in Australia in the hope of breaking a world record and raising £1million for clean water projects.
The vessel, which will be the three rowers’ home for months while out at sea, has been specifically designed and measures 9.3 metres long and just 1.8 metres wide.
It features two small sleeping cabins, solar panels to power essential navigation and communication systems, a desalination unit for producing drinking water from seawater, and storage compartments for freeze-dried food, safety gear, and emergency supplies.
Meanwhile, the hull of the boat has been reinforced to protect against the threat of marlins. These fish have been known to pierce ocean rowing boats with their spear-like bills.
Filmed outside The Social Hub Glasgow, Campbell marvels at the rowing boat’s “elongated shaft” design. He also admires the “space” and “luxury” that Jamie, Ewan, and Lachlan Maclean will enjoy once they set sail.
In the video, which has already racked up thousands of views on Instagram, Campbell praises the boat’s openness to the outdoors and split-level entry system. He also notes its solar panels, praising the brothers’ commitment to sustainability.
Looking into the bedroom area, Danny jokes: “Oh, there appears to be a pump system in here. Must be in case it fills with water… that’s not normal for a home.”
Meanwhile, while admiring the storage space, he adds: “Perfect, some soggy toilet roll. Just what you need when you’re stuck at sea.”
Campbell also jokingly points out the vessel’s ‘en-suite’ and brandishes the bucket that will serve as the rowers’ toilet. He states: “I think I’ve noticed an en-suite here as well… perfect, just need to try not to fill it.”
Closing his tour of the boat, Danny takes a seat in one of the bedrooms and reflects: “When you think of a home, you think of stability, safety, and family. This home has one of them: family.
“And being stuck at sea with your brothers – I couldn’t think of a more beautiful or well-designed space. I hope it keeps them safe.”
The Maclean Brothers previously went viral on social media after uploading a video of themselves deliberately capsizing the boat to prepare for potential disasters at sea. The clip, which has around 10million views on Instagram, shows the harsh realities of surviving in the world’s most dangerous waters.
The brothers will set off from Lima in April, aiming to arrive in Sydney months later. They are working towards raising £1 million for The Maclean Foundation, a charity providing clean water to developing countries, and they are currently looking for sponsors for the challenge.