Daredevil Lancashire dad sets sail on 1,900-mile solo Atlantic trip in smallest-ever vessel

A daredevil dad from Lancashire has set sail from Canada in a one metre boat – in bid to cross the Atlantic in the smallest ever vessel.

Andrew Bedwell, 49, said he was “quite chilled” about his 1,900-mile solo trip to the British Isles before he left St John’s, Newfoundland, at 1.30pm local time yesterday (May 27). The mariner has spent three years hand-building his incredible fibreglass micro-yacht – aptly named Big C – which measures 3.5m tall and has a top speed of 2.5mph.

And he’ll survive on vitamin-based drinks and food bags made of beef jerky, raisins, and fat during his perilous passage, which have been moulded into the walls of his cabin. Video captured Andrew being towed out of the port, on the island’s West coast, before his team released his lines so he could begin his journey at 2.28pm.

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He expects to be battered by at least five storms during his roughly three-month trip – comparing it to being “stuck in a wheelie bin, on a rollercoaster for 90 days”.

Andrew said: “I’m quite chilled. I feel good, and it’s time to go. Everything has pulled together exceptionally well, there’s nothing that I am apprehensive of on the vessel at all. Absolutely everything has gone to plan.

“I personally think I’ve gone over and above what I need to do for the whole trip. But you never know you could hit an iceberg. The Titanic was considered unsinkable but it hit one, and there are a lot of icebergs out there.”

The dad-of-one said he wasn’t concerned about spending months alone at sea in his tiny vessel but said he would miss his ten-year-old daughter, Poppy.

He added: “I think the biggest thing I’ll miss will be a cuddle from my daughter. But I wanted a big challenge before I’m 50 – and I’m taking on a huge challenge in a tiny vessel.”

Andrew, who delivers yachts around the world and works as a sailmaker, has spent most of his adult life embarking on hair-raising nautical adventures. He previously sailed non-stop around Britain and has taken his small 6.5m carbon racing yacht across the Atlantic and up to the arctic circle.

Andrew came up with his idea after reading a book by current record holder Hugo Vihlen, who made the dangerous crossing in a 1.6m (5ft 4inch) boat 30 years ago. He then spent years hand-building and self-financing his one-metre-long sailing boat, which he fabricated in the garage of his home, in Scarisbrick.

Andrew will now find out if his tough fibreglass tub, which has undergone rigorous testing, will stand up to the worst weather the Atlantic can throw at him.

He said: “When you get into a storm, you’re then just battening it down and just hoping for the best. You’ve got vessels who are also in the storms, and they’re not always looking out for you.

“That’s probably my biggest apprehension. Ships still go down, but we’ve done as much as we can do to make it as bulletproof as possible.”

Andrew will spend most of his time at sea sitting down inside his cockpit – only being able to stand up and exercise when the weather is calm enough. And he’s not sure if he’ll be able to put one foot in front of the other when he finally reaches land some months later.

He added: “No one can really say how much weight I’ll lose because there are not many people who have sat still for three months with so little movement. When I get back, it’s debatable how easily I’ll be able to walk. So I will have to be careful with my legs.”

Andrew will also carry an onboard desalinator, providing him with fresh drinking water throughout his journey, but other than that, he will have few luxuries.

He said: “I’ll be lowering my food intake so little that I won’t be having many bowel movements, but if I do, I will be over the side. My one luxury item is going to be a flannel, and that’s going to do the job for everything.

“I’ll have one change of clothes – there’s just not enough room for more.”

Andrew only needs to reach a point within 50 miles of the West of Ireland to claim the record, but hopes to finish in Falmouth harbour in late August this year.

He said: “Ideally, I’d like to arrive in Falmouth just for the iconic side of things and to sail into England.”

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