VIDEO: BBC’s Scotland’s Home of the Year host judges his tiniest house yet – a Pacific Ocean rowing boat

BBC’s Scotland’s Home of the Year host Danny Campbell has judged his tiniest house yet – a Pacific Ocean rowing boat.

Danny stuck his oar into The Maclean Brothers’ ocean rowing boat, casting his architectural eye over its ‘design’ before the world record-breaking team embarks on their Pacific Ocean row in April.

In a hilarious video architect Danny marvels at the boat’s ‘elongated shaft’ shape before hopping aboard to admire the ‘space’ and ‘luxury’ the brothers will enjoy. He gets particularly excited about the ‘en-suite’ – which is actually a bucket.

The Maclean Brothers – Jamie, Ewan, and Lachlan – made history when they crossed the Atlantic in January 2020, breaking three world records.

Now, they are set to go even further by attempting a non-stop, unsupported 14,000km row across the Pacific from Lima, Peru, to Sydney, Australia in the hope of breaking a world record and raising £1 million for clean water projects.

The boat, which will be their home for months at sea, is a specially designed ocean rowing vessel measuring 9.3 metres long and just 1.8 metres wide.

It features two tiny sleeping cabins, just big enough for one person at a time, 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.

The hull has also been reinforced to protect against the threat of marlins, which have been known to pierce ocean rowing boats with their spear-like bills.

In the video that has already racked up thousands of views on Instagram, TV personality and architect Danny praises the ‘home’s’ openness to the outdoors and split-level entry system, as well as the solar panels, noting the team’s 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.’

While admiring the storage space, he makes another discovery: ‘Perfect, some soggy toilet roll – just what you need when you’re stuck at sea.’

And then comes the highlight of the tour – the en-suite: ‘I think I’ve noticed an en-suite here as well… perfect, just need to try not to fill it.’

Brandishing the bucket that will serve as the brothers’ toilet, Danny moves out of the bedroom and onto the deck, where he tries out the rowing seats that will propel them across the 9,000-mile journey.

In a poignant close to 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 set off from Lima, Peru, in April, aiming to arrive in Sydney, Australia, 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.

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