He has not seen any sign of life for six weeks but yachtsman Adrian Flanagan has found plenty to entertain him out at sea.

Mr Flanagan, who is attempting to sail solo around the world via the polar regions without stopping, has not seen "a single sign of human habitation on the planet" since before tackling Cape Horn in early February.

But this doesn't appear to be presenting too many problems for the 45-year-old father-of-two from Ludgershall near Bicester, who has undertaken the expedition partly in aid of the Oxford Children's Hospital Campaign.

He has been busying himself with the odd spot of fishing with a spear gun, cooking up pancakes and browsing books he has been meaning to read for decades.

And because he is now sailing in sunnier weather, he has had his first deck bath in two months.

He said: "It's so good to be in the warmer weather and down to T-shirt and shorts, though most of the time it's disappointingly overcast.

"I have also taken to making twice daily tours around deck, at dawn and dusk, armed with my spear gun, peering over the sides for any fish which might look good in a curry."

He is now making good progress towards Hawaii, where he is scheduled to pick up extra supplies.

He is due to collect a new heater and extra charts for the Arctic. His heating broke while negotiating the treacherous waters of Cape Horn and he will need the new charts if he decides to sail through the Canadian Arctic.

He had been planning to tackle the Russian Arctic, but Russian authorities have told him that to do this he would have to have an ice pilot on board, which would mean his trip would no longer qualify as a solo expedition.

He says picking up these items will not compromise the non-stop aspect of his voyage, as he will not actually stop. Mr Flanagan, a qualified osteopath and business consultant, is still about 4,000 miles from Hawaii and, if the past six weeks are anything to go by, it could be a lonely voyage although he has found some company.

He said: "When I went on deck this morning I found two squid. I am at a complete loss as to how they could have got there. No water has broken over the boat for at least a week. Is this a new species of jumping squid?"

He has set himself the target of covering 100 nautical miles a day, a goal he is meeting.

He said: "Let's hope the trade winds stay solid. I am sure to hit calms closer to the Equator, so any credit I can build up now will stand me in good stead for then."

Mr Flanagan set sail from Southampton last October and, if all goes to plan, he will be away for up to a year.

For more information about his expedition, or to make a donation, visit www.alphaglobalex.com