HUGE swells and fierce winds are causing problems for a Hampshire sailor attempting to recreate a famous voyage of Antarctic discovery.

Already having had to contend with icebergs, crew members on the Alexandra Shackleton, skippered by Nick Bubb, from Lymington, have suffered electrical difficulties that have broken their long-range radio and radar tracking device.

And with seven-metre swells and gusts of up to 50 knots, the shipmates trying to follow the route taken by polar explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton nearly a century ago have had to contend with seasickness as they try to fix the problems, caused by water logging.

Until the technical problems are resolved, the team of rowers have only been able to communicate with their support team over a short-range radio.

The 22ft vessel has covered 229 nautical miles since leaving King George Island on its epic 800-mile journey, following the route to South Georgia taken by Shackleton after his ship, the Endurance, was crushed by pack ice and sank in 1916.

Nick, 33, reported that the crew were all fine, but feeling quite queasy in the huge swell. But he said they had all managed to eat more, which was a positive sign.

After reaching South Georgia, the team will attempt to recreate Shackleton’s three-day trek across its mountainous interior, where he reached a whaling station and managed to get help for the rest of his stranded crew.