A sailor has been rescued seven miles off Bermuda after a rogue wave destroyed his sails and GPS.

Rick Knight, battled 30 foot waves to reach the Island after his mainsail and genoa were shredded by waves and wind on the second day of his voyage.

The 63-year-old was enroute from Norfolk, Virginia, to Bermuda in his 36-foot sloop, Three Generations, when he was confronted by the "gigantic" wave.

Its force was such that it knocked the vessel on her side before she righted herself, deluged in gallons of water.

Mr. Knight set sail from the US on April 15 and was about 200 nautical miles from Norfolk when the wave struck, at around 4 a.m.

He said: "There was a good wind building and pretty good sized swells, so I reefed the main sail down twice and pulled in the genoa to a third.

"Then, out of the corner of my eye I saw a gigantic wave. It was as tall as the mast.

"In sailing we call it a rogue wave. I didn't think, am I going to die? The only thing I was thinking was, I wonder what's going to happen?"

He said: "It knocked the boat down so that the mast was level with the water and everything was thrown helter-skelter.

"But then the boat came back up, like a pendulum. There were gallons of water crashing down through the sails everywhere, and all that weight just ripped them."

Mr. Knight, who was harnessed in, lost his cell and satellite phones overboard in the process.

From then on, he battled 30- foot seas to continue on course to Bermuda, without his sails or a working engine.

"You have to make do with what you have," he said. "The weather was so rough I just had to sail my way through it.

"The seas were 30 feet high, on-and-off, with white caps. And the wind was relentless.

"There was no time that the wind and waves would allow me to take care of the sails.

"I managed to get between 20 and 30 nautical miles southeast of Bermuda but the weather was still so bad, I elected to hove to, to try and stay in one spot, until the weather improved.

"Bermuda is surrounded by shoals so I really didn't want to take risks."

Mr. Knight said although he got within range of the Island on Friday, it took another four days to finally reach shore.

"Three days ago I finally managed to rig up a sail.

"I put up a trisail and sailed the boat to within seven miles of Bermuda.

"It was at that point that Bermuda Radio (Harbour Radio) contacted me and got Marine and Ports to tow me in.

"The seas were still very choppy and windy, throwing you around like a rollercoaster. I was seven miles out but it took five hours to get to the shore, that's how bad it was."

Fortunately for Mr. Knight, his wife Paulette notified the US Coast Guard when he failed to appear in Bermuda on the scheduled 12th day of his sail plan.

The Coast Guard contacted Bermuda Maritime Operations (Harbour Radio), who then traced Three Generations by radar.

They then made contact with Mr. Knight via VHF radio and Marine and Ports towed the sailboat in on the St. David.

Mr. Knight, a retired US airline pilot, was full of praise for Harbour Radio and the Department of Marine and Ports.

"But for them I wouldn't be here," he said. "These people did a fantastic job and have probably saved my life."

Mr. Knight, who has been sailing for more than 25 years, also praised Three Generations.

He said: "I never felt in danger as far as the boat was concerned, because she is very capable and seaworthy."

Mr. Knight bought the 'High Tension' sailboat, built in London in 1978, five years ago. Although he has sailed to the Caribbean in her, Three Generations has only previously sailed to Bermuda under a different owner, in 1995.

"I felt it was a good time to do this ocean passage single-handed before I got too old," said Mr. Knight. "Now I don't ever want to do it again."

He had also planned a "romantic rendezvous" on the Island for his wife's 53rd birthday, on Monday.

His wife, who does not like sailing, was to fly out from the family home in Clarkston, Michigan, for a short vacation.

"It almost worked, but the 'almost' part has got me in a lot of trouble," joked Mr. Knight. "Now she says the boat is for sale! I've got to let her cool off for a couple of weeks."

Mrs. Knight, a pharmacist, told him yesterday that their five daughters, Theresa, Tricia, Brynne, Mycalann and Janae, were also "pretty upset".

Mr. Knight however, seems determined to keep his boat. After reaching St. George's at 2 a.m. yesterday, he said he was a bit "landsick" but also felt "very relieved and thankful".

He says he will spend the next couple of weeks in Bermuda repairing Three Generations.

"Look at what she went through," said Mr. Knight. "This boat came through with flying colours."