A DARING rower from Basingstoke says his solo 3,000-mile voyage across the Atlantic is going well despite severe storms and other hitches.

James Ketchell, a 28-year-old accounts manager from Severn Way, Eastrop, is rowing from La Gomera in the Canary Islands to Antigua in the Caribbean and has now rowed a sixth of the way on his epic sea journey.

He said: “It has been absolutely fantastic and I have been feeling very safe in the boat. I am coping by just trying to get through one day at a time.

“I have worked hard in the last two years to get here so I want to enjoy it. It is certainly an experience I will not forget.”

However, equipment and boat parts have broken as he battles tempestuous seas.

Crucially, one of the solar panels that provides electricity on board his craft broke after just 10 days, meaning the machine that turns salt water into drinkable water does not work.

Speaking to The Gazette via a satellite phone, Mr Ketchell said: “I use a lot of water when rowing, especially as the sun is beating down on me all the time – and most of my food is dehydrated.”

To get round this he is now using a hand pump, but this is time-consuming and wastes precious energy.

To add to his woes, he lost an oar in a storm, leaving him with three to propel the craft. And he is constantly repairing his seat and has had to patch up his rudder.

The setbacks come after a rocky start to his adventure. In the first two days, his 21-foot boat was engulfed in a violent storm and was hit by another just last weekend.

He said: “The swells are higher than houses and throw the boat all over the place – I have felt like I was in a massive tumble-drier.”

But he has not let these testing times sap his confidence.

Each day, he rows for 10 hours and he hopes to increase that as he progresses. So far, he says he is not suffering from pressure sores and his body is holding up well.

“I have not pushed myself to the point of exhaustion yet,” he said.

When he is not rowing, he listens to music or sleeps. In the morning, he adds water to his dried breakfast and washes with baby wipes before emerging from the cabin to row another day.

Concerning him most are huge cargo ships and tankers plying across his bows.

He said: “At night, I can look at my radar and there are three or four large ships around me and if they don’t see you, you are in trouble.”

But the shipping also provides him with company on his long and lonely voyage.

“I have been talking to the ships on my radio and they have been very friendly and have been wishing me good luck,” he said.

Another encounter last week helped stave off loneliness. For swimming alongside him was a giant turtle.

He said: “My turtle friend attracted a lot of other very colourful fish that were also very interesting to look at.”

James’ trip will raise funds for the NSPCC.

To sponsor him, call 07766 396740, or go to atlanticadventurer.com or justgiving.com/jamesketchell.