Imagine if you will, I'm out rowing in the middle of the English Channel. It's a lovely stretch of water, it's very difficult to row however, and I'm rowing quite quickly. Really-really, quite quickly fast, it's the fastest I've ever rowed in my life. It's so fast that my lungs are beginning to die, and the reason for this incredible burst of speed; some would say, "legendary" burst of speed, is that just there in this picture of me rowing at this angle, just behind me, just bearing down on me is an oil tanker. It's a third of a mile long, and it is bearing down on me with really incredible speed. Which is why I am rowing faster than anyone has ever rowed, in their lives. I am desperately trying to get out of the way of that massive, massive oil tanker. Did I mention, by the way that I'm sitting, rowing in a bathtub?
All At Sea – Tim FitzHigham | The Moth
With that intro, Tim FitzHigham had my full attention, and off we went on an incredible ride of Franco-British Union relations, ending with Tim FitzHigham made Commodore of Sudbury Quay in the Royal Navy, and even managed to get the approval of she-herself Queen Elizabeth II to share the following exchange about the twin hull "Lilibet II":
She said to me: "Gosh that bathtub must've been awfully heavy. It must've weighed a half a ton.
And I thought this is my one moment of being "Bond", and I just smoothed my hair down, looked her directly in the eye and went: "Well, it was actually only a third of a ton ma'am, but still really rather heavy."
And then she said: "But, did you not think of putting a shower curtain on it?"
And I said "well, I did consider it, but couldn't decide on the color."
And she said: "I think blue, don't you?"
All At Sea – Tim FitzHigham | The Moth
Listening to Tim FitzHigham talk about the planets lining up as person after person gave support and momentum to the Lilibet II endeavor was akin to watching Forest Gump for the first time.
