After being thrown overboard in the middle of the Atlantic, Duncan Hutchison believed he was close to death.

The Scot suffered electrical malfunctions on board his homemade boat and came perilously close to disaster as a 37,000 tonne tanker tried to rescue him.

He was just feet from the US vessel’s giant propeller and in danger of being swept underneath, but with thoughts of his family spurring him on, he managed to fight his way back to safety.

Mr Hutchison, from Lochinver in Sutherland, was 100 days into a solo voyage across the Atlantic to raise money for Water Aid when he suffered disastrous electric malfunctions on Saturday.

He had to call for help and it was when the 590-ft long Asphalt Splendor approached his small wooden boat Sleipnir - named after an eight legged horse from Norse mythology that could glide across the sea - that he got into trouble.

His terrifying ordeal was revealed in his online log, which stated that he contacted the coastguard at 1am on Saturday to say that he was having difficulties and was facing 8ft high waves.

The tanker arrived to rescue him two hours later and Mr Hutchison struggled to attach a line from the vessel to his boat.

The log states: “Tried to fasten and drifted down aft of vessel and for a horrible few minutes, about 20ft from big propellers, Sleipnir lunges in deep over on side.

“Thought it was going over and under aft of cargo vessel but deck filled over both gunnels and I was lucky the rope broke and drifted off to safety.

“Next attempt I attached heaving line to starboard side cargo vessel and on Sleipnir, easing us back to ladder. This is when one wooden horse powered Sleipnir decides to smash into 9740 steel horsepower freighter.

“Lurching away from boat and I’m flung over the side underwater hanging onto my stainless 10 safety wire... if I let go, I’m away!!

“Calmly thinking and holding on instinctively, I think of my family and push up towards my boat, staring at it’s keel.

“Swell goes back up and I manage to climb back in after a few attempts, then eventually a surge pushes Sleipnir up about 4m and I grab rescue ladder.

“I’m now off wood and onto the steel of the freight. Climbing up ladder, with eyes looking down and eager looking arms to help me up, I’m so grateful and thank you all.”

Mr Hutchison is now heading to New York on board the tanker and his boat - which he painstakingly built over three years - is now lost at sea after the tow rope broke.

He was 863 miles from Land’s End when he was rescued.

The rower, who has raised more than £20,000 for Water Aid, had already faced 20ft high waves during his journey and was removed from his boat due to stormy conditions just four days into his journey.

He had to start over again, leaving from Whale Creek Marina, Strathmere, New Jersey, on June 15.

His aim was sail home to Sutherland, west to east across the Atlantic, however the journey was proving much longer than anticipated.

Even at his longest estimate, Mr Hutchison, who celebrated his 53rd birthday at sea, planned to be back home in Lochinver with his family by now.

For every two miles he had paddled towards the end of his journey, he had to row nearly three to get back on course.

He still had 1070 miles to go with warnings of fierce storms ahead.

Following his rescue, his daughter Francy Hutchison said: “Dad was left with no other option but to call for assistance following a technical fault which left his boat with no power.

“He was therefore unable to navigate safely, convert salt to fresh water and made the responsible decision to call for help. One of the toughest decisions he will have ever made.”

She added: “In terms of distance, if it was in a straight line he would have covered the distance between New York and Lochinver, so he will be very disappointed because he likes to see things to a finish.

“I think in the back of his mind he’ll know he has made a very responsible decision because he wouldn’t want to cause any of the emergency services any trouble and had he left it any longer it could have become quite a situation.”

HM Coastguard duty commander Mark Rodaway, said: “He’s been picked up safe and well. We’ll continue to keep in touch with him via the tanker crew while they progress their passage back towards New York.”

Only 13 people have successfully rowed solo from West to East across the North Atlantic.

Mr Hutchison is the second Scot to fail in his bid to row across the Atlantic this year.

In June, Niall Iain Macdonald, who was making his third attempt in four years at completing the feat, was forced to abandon his boat.

The 44-year-old was rescued by a Dutch cargo ship.