A houseboat owner who sailed solo across the Atlantic has described the trip as the "most terrifying 42 days of my life".

James Muggoch, who lives on the Thames beside Kew Bridge in Brentford , overcame 30ft waves, murderous hallucinations and a fire on board during his 3,600 mile journey.

The 66-year-old father-of-four sailed a 27ft yacht from Lanzarote to Grenada, where he donated the vessel to the First Grand Anse Sea Scouts.

The trip was an unconventional 65th birthday present to himself, but he says he completely underestimated the scale of the challenge.

James Muggoch on his yacht Annie of Orford shortly after setting off for Grenada

"If I'd known how much it would take out of me and how much it would end up costing I probably would have called it off," said Mr Muggoch, whose varied CV includes spells as a lorry driver, market trader and theatrical agent.

'I was very lucky to get away with it'

"How naive was I to think a 66-year-old man could take on the Atlantic single-handedly? I was very lucky to get away with it."

Mr Muggoch's voyage began in the worst possible fashion, when the engine failed to start, forcing him to rely entirely on wind power - and it was all downhill from there.

James Muggoch in action during his solo Atlantic crossing

On the first day, he suffered a nasty fall, leaving him with a gash to the head and limited vision in one eye.

After two weeks at sea, a freak wave sent water pouring into the electrics, starting a small fire and ripping a six-inch hole in the deck.

Tesco Bag For Life lives up to its name

He managed to patch up the hole with a plastic bag - ironically a Tesco Bag For Life - which remarkably lived up to its name and sufficed for the rest of the journey.

But his lowest point came when the hallucinations started - menacing voices threatening to kill him and vivid apparitions of friends encouraging him to step overboard.

James Muggoch arrives at Grenada

"At one point I was in the middle of the Atlantic and a friend called Alfie appeared." he said.

"He stepped off the boat and said 'come and join me we're at port'. I was so close to actually doing it."

Rammstein CD proved unlikely salvation

His son's Rammstein CD proved his unlikely salvation - blasting out the heavy metal music drowned out the voices until after two weeks they stopped almost as suddenly as they had begun.

From there it was smoother sailing until he reached Grenada, two stone lighter, battered and bruised, but remarkably still in one piece.

James Muggoch's emotional reunion with his wife Louise in Grenada

As he approached the Caribbean coast, he passed a ransacked ship floating in the perilous pirate-infested waters and thought how easily that could have been him.

A police launch then drew near and he was initially panicked to see the officer gesticulating manically, only to realise he was shouting at him to "put some bloody clothes on". He had forgotten he'd been naked for the last month.

Flying fish and dolphins kept him company

The nightmare didn't end once he made dry land, where he had a run-in with border officers after failing to go through immigration amid all the fanfare.

For all the gloom during the crossing, there was the occasional bright spot, not least the flying fish and dolphins who provided his only company at sea - and the spouts from whales he saw, despite never seeing the ocean giants themselves.

James with sea scouts and their leaders in Grenada

But the highlight was the rapturous reception he received. Not just the emotional reunion with his relieved wife Louise, but the gratitude with which he and his boat were received by the sea scouts.

Being appointed an honorary commissioner of the sea scouts was one of his "proudest moments", he says, and knowing the boat will help impoverished youngsters learn the skills needed to break into the marine industry (almost) made it all worth it.

  • A full account of James' epic voyage is due to appear in an upcoming edition of Yachting Monthly