WALES: Struck by lightning, adrift for days, sunk but still undaunted... Trevor, 68, hopes for fourth time lucky in Atlantic crossing dream.

Byline: By ERYL CRUMP

A SAILOR who has lost three boats - and risked his life - trying to sail across the Atlantic now wants to raise enough cash to make a fourth attempt at his dream voyage.

Trevor Wilson from Waunfawr near Caernarfon has been shipwrecked, struck by lightning, and spent days adrift at sea, as well as breaking several bones, in three single handed attempts at the crossing since 2000.

Retired factory worker Mr Wilson, 68, failed on the first two occasions and while he reached the Brazilian coast on the third attempt, he has yet to get to Virginia.

The dad-of-five was inspired to go on his adventure after he read the true story of 16 exiled men, women and children who sailed a 70-year-old wooden sloop, Erma, from Stockholm to Norfolk, Virginia in 1945.

He told the Daily Post: "After retiring I bought a 24-foot yacht called the Blue Moon.

"I didn't like that name so I renamed her the Osama which means deep water in the local language of the Dominican Republic. The name attracted a lot of comment.

"Half-way across the Atlantic the Osama lost its rudder. I was adrift for three days before I was picked up by a merchant ship. Sadly the yacht smashed against the ship and sank."

Two years later Trevor set off fromCaernarfon on his second attempt at crossing the Atlantic.

"This time I had a 29-foot boat the Bowden. When I was 100 miles south of Cork the boat rolled over in a hurricane breaking three of my ribs and an arm. It took me 11 days to get back to shore. I was helped by a lifeboat," he said.

In 2005 Trevor finally made it across the Atlantic landing in Natal on the northern Brazilian coast.

"That was a great feeling to have achieved part of the dream. But the voyagewas only half finished. I sailed up the coast into the Caribbean where the boatwas struck by lightning. This caused damage to the mast and I drifted onto rocks off Devil's Island, French Guyana and sank in 10 minutes," added Trevor.

Now Trevor has written a book about his exploits to raise money to buy another yacht.

"I hope the book will be of interest to yachtsmen and adventurers alike. And if I raise enough money I want to try and complete the voyage to Virginia," he said.

Trevor's wife Janet, he added, is not keen on sailing.

"She's been on the boat with me to places like the Isle of Man but she's not at ease on the water," he said.

Thisweekend Trevor, amember of the RoyalWelsh Yacht Club in Caernarfon, is crewing another yacht around the North Wales coast.

"I love sailing. I've been sailing for more than 50 years. I was 14 before I saw the sea for the first time when my mother Alice took me on an outing to Skegness. I was filled with awe and wonder at the first sighting of such a large body of water," he said.

Trevor's first yacht was a 18-foot exlifeboat that he converted to resemble a Thames sailing barge. He explored the riverMersey and cruised along theNorth Wales coast to Conwy.

Sailing Alone Across The Atlantic: A Pensioner's Tale by Trevor Wilson will be published by Melrose Books in July. Price pounds 17.99.

erylcrump@dailypost.co.uk

CAPTION(S):

Caernarfon yachtsman Trevor Wilson hopes a book of his adventures on three dramatic failed bids to sail the Atlantic single-handed to Virginia will help to fund a fourth attempt Picture: JEFF PITT jp020508yachtsman-2