A student from Pembrokeshire who undertook a two-week voyage across the Atlantic this summer has revealed his ‘unforgettable experience.’
Along with two crew members, Samuel Underwood successfully helped sail a 53-foot yacht from Greenland to Scotland.
Samuel, a medical student at Cardiff University, navigated through icebergs and rocky seas to return home unscathed.
He said: “It’s an unforgettable experience. It was the trip of a lifetime. It puts things into perspective when no one is around you on the sea. It makes you think twice about the little problems in life.
“There was plenty of ice bergs and these were quite a worry, especially when we were sailing down the west coast from Nuuk in Greenland. They could do considerable damage to the boat. But sooner or later we had to steer around them.
“There were many peaks and troughs while sailing. Sometimes the waves were so big that I couldn’t see the horizon. The journey required constant concentration, keeping an eye on the compass and any other obstacles.”
“The most challenging part was waking up every six hours for watches. A lot of mental strength was needed but it was a chance to explore my skills.”
When going down the west Greenland coast, Samuel and the crew only sailed during the day.
Thereafter, each person had a shift rotation, steering the boat for three hours and then taking six hours off for cooking, sleeping and resting.
Samuel was asked to join the voyage by Pete Evans, the father of a fellow student at Cardiff University who needed an extra crew member.
He continued: “When it comes to once in a life opportunities like that, I was lucky. I have never done anything like that before. There was a lot of risk involved. It took a big chunk out of my summer.
“Even though I had the sailing skills, it was a very different type of sailing that I was used to.”
Samuel is now in the second year of his medicine degree and admitted it would be a long time before he could go on another voyage.
The student from Llanddewi Velfrey began sailing at the age of 11 at Saundersfoot Sailing Club – a club that takes pride in the development of their youngsters through encouragement, positivity and inclusivity.
However, Samuel was first inspired by his grandfather David Davis of Llantwit Major, Vale of Glamorgan who was a competitive sailor many years ago.
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