DORSET adventurer Philip Beale today told how the first few days of his four-month voyage have been plain sailing, but exhilirating none the less.

The ship covered 150 miles in the past 24 hours and is currently just off the Cocos Islands.

The ex-Royal Navy officer from East Chaldon, near Lulworth, said spirits are high among his international 17-man crew and they are making good progress on their 10,000-mile journey to trace a first millennium trading route from Jakarta to Ghana.

They have already covered several hundred miles in the Borobudur Ship - a traditionally built wooden sailing boat -since it was launched at a grand ceremony attended by Indonesian President Megawati Soekarnoputri.

Speaking on the ship's satellite phone, Philip, 42, said: "We are doing incredibly well and the winds have been favourable. I am still coming to terms with the fact I'm here.

"It hasn't sunk in properly yet but everything is how I envisaged it would be."

Despite getting his bunk drenched on a couple of occasions from incoming water, Philip said the ship was sailing well.

The expedition is on track to arrive in the Seychelles in just over three weeks where the team will spend a week and a half on dry land.

During this time they will stock up on fresh food and swap two crew members.

They have split into two watches and sleep in four-hour stretches.

Philip - who left his job as head of funding at a pensions firm to make the £200,000 trip - said: "It is a bit tiring because there are large rudders to steer.

"I have started an internal fishing competition between the Indonesians and the rest of the crew, but so far the fish are winning because nobody has caught anything.

"Some flying fish have landed on board though. We have been eating pineapples, melons and vegetables but these will run out soon. We have tinned food and rice which we cook on kerosene burners. We are missing things like bread and fresh water showers and we have a beer or glass of wine only once a week.

"But that's all part of it - it isn't a luxury cruise."