Two brothers go completely over the top
After eight weeks at sea in an 8.6m rigid inflatable boat, brothers Peter and Phillip Jenkins have made it to their final destination in Freemantle, WA.
Raising money for prostate cancer research, the brothers departed on the Honda Over The Top Expedition from the Sydney International Boat Show on August 1, and travelled over 10,000km to reach the finish line at the Royal Perth Yacht Club on October 6.
“Too many Australian men die each year from prostate cancer. It’s one of the most common cancers in men in Australia, second only to skin cancer, yet it’s rarely spoken about,” Jenkins said.
The brothers agreed the most challenging part of the expedition was the 17 hour Gulf crossing from Weipa to Nhulunbuy (Gove) in the Northern Territory.
“It was 17 hours of massive 5m choppy, confused seas with a large part of the crossing in total darkness,” Jenkins said.
“It was the same day Darwin also declared a catastrophic fire warning due to the extreme winds, which reflected the tough ocean conditions. It felt like we hit a brick wall every couple of minutes,” he said.
But the pair made it through the storm unscathed, and racked up an impressive tally of wildlife encounters while they were at it. They dodged more than 1500 whales and 134 turtles, and caught and ate more fish than most people would in a lifetime.
All funds raised through the expedition go to Cancer Council Australia. Visit www.overthetop.com.au for more information or to donate.