Location: Lanzarote, Canary Islands
Date: 19th January 2026
Mission Status: Phase One – Preparation
Operative: JJ Bear
Classification Level: PUBLIC
The first phase of Operation PAWSIBLE is underway. I’ve successfully linked up with the Changing Tides Row team, and together we have travelled to Lanzarote. The Atlantic stretches endlessly before us, and somewhere out there, 3,200 miles across open water, lies our first objective: Antigua.
But I’m getting ahead of myself. Let me brief you on what’s been happening at base camp.
They say no plan survives first contact with the enemy. In our case, the “enemy” is 3,200 miles of unpredictable ocean, and the team isn’t taking any chances. I’ve watched them work with military precision. The hull has been stripped of loose paint and reinforced with three fresh coats of anti-fouling paint, and the bow cabin now houses our communications system, Starlink technology that will keep us connected to mission control (and to all of you following along).
Every piece of kit has been unpacked, inspected, repacked, and checked again. Once we push off from land, there’s no going back for forgotten equipment.
The energy here is something special. This is a crew bound together by trust and a strong shared purpose, and I’m honoured to be rowing alongside them.
There are elements of this operation that must remain classified for now, future objectives beyond Antigua that have yet to be revealed. But I can promise you this: Operation PAWSIBLE will be big.
Current Status
As I write this, the Atlantic is almost too calm. She’s waiting, measuring us, deciding whether we’re worthy of safe passage. In 5 days, we’ll find out.
The team is focused. The boat is ready. My mission is clear: document every moment of this journey, and ensure that back home, veterans in the justice system receive the support they need.
The countdown has begun. 5 days until we push off into the unknown.
This is just the beginning.
JJ Bear, signing off.