A Pembrokeshire man is setting out on an epic sailing voyage from New Zealand home to Wales next month, distributing water filters to remote islands as he goes.

Iwan Thomas, from Templeton, currently lives in Mount Maunganui, New Zealand.

Four years ago he bought a Westsail 32 yacht in New Zealand which he named Betty after his Pembrokeshire grandmother.

Since then he has been living onboard and teaching himself to sail through YouTube videos, how to books and help from friends.

Iwan even quit his job and found new employment repairing boats so that he could fix his for free and learn the skills he would need for his epic sailing mission.

He plans to leave New Zealand next month and set off on a two year solo sail home to Pembrokeshire. On his way he will deliver small water filters, called Cleansip straws, to remote islands where the communities struggle to get safe drinking water.

"It’s a bit of a crazy idea but it's finally happening,” said Iwan. “The filters I'm hoping to take with me are small enough to take a large quantity with me on my small yacht.

“They are not the perfect long term solution but I hope they will save some lives in times of emergency.”

Iwan is funding his voyage home himself but is raising funds to buy as many of the straws as possible.

“My first stop is Fiji where one in 10 people still don’t have access to clean drinking water,” he said.

“Something as easy as drinking safe water is still a huge problem for communities and causes disease and death to many thousands worldwide.”

Iwan is hoping to take 500 Cleansip filters with him. The filters cost $15 each and he has set up a gofundme to buy as many as possible.

Any amount donated is welcome and will help me, donate just $1 and it will all add up in the end,” he said.

“Every dollar of the donations go towards buying these filters.”

To help buy Cleansip straws for Iwan to deliver, visit the gofundme link above or visit www.gofundme.com/f/clean-drinking-water-to-remote-islands.

For more on Iwan’s voyage go to sv_betty_b on Instagram or Facebook.