Father sets sail on 1,900-mile solo trip across the Atlantic from Canada to the ... trends now

A daredevil father has set sail from Canada to the UK in a three-foot boat he built himself - 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.

The mariner has spent three years hand-building his incredible fibreglass micro-yacht - named Big C - which measures 11 feet and 5.8 inches tall and has a top speed of 2.5mph.

And he'll survive 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.

He came up with the idea after reading a book by current record holder Hugo Vihlen, who made the perilous passage in a 5ft4in (1.6m) boat 30 years ago. 

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.

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 father-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.'