A companyy is offering sailors the chance to swap boating in Bognor for cruising in the Caribbean.

The website Boatswop.com allows boat-owners to swap vessels with people anywhere in the world. They place listings saying what their boats are like, where they want to go and when.

Then they wait, hoping a sailor from somewhere exotic wants to try sailing in England.

Website owner Andy Holliday of Barnham, near Bognor Regis, is already planning his first voyage. He is setting up an exchange with a Canadian and wants to sail around Alaska.

He said: "Alaska wouldn't have been on the cards without the website. Boatswop.com has all the benefits of chartering a boat, plus the fact we can ask the owners about the boat and local sailing tips.

"You also don't have the huge cost of chartering a boat."

He hopes the site will broaden his horizons as a sailor, making it possible for him to enjoy adventure holidays anywhere in the world for little more than the cost of a flight.

He said: "Looking at some of the boats currently on the site, they are in places I never would have thought about going to but it seems feasible now."

Mr Holliday set the site up with fellow sailing enthusiast Crispin Ellison. They had discussed sharing berths after seeing several unoccupied during a sailing trip.

The idea for swapping boats took hold when Mr Ellison and his wife Ilana went on holiday to California using a house-swapping website.

The website was launched on January 9 and has already been featured in several American and Canadian newspapers.

Potential boat-swappers from California, Vancouver and Florida have already joined up and more are expected this weekend, with an article due to appear in the LA Times.

Mr Holliday said: "The season hasn't started yet in Britain but we have had coverage in North America and a lot of new members from Canada and America have joined.

"Hopefully they will start swapping straight away because they have the sun all year around.

"We had it up and running but didn't know whether people would use it but it seems to be taking off."

So far nobody has gone through with a boat-swapping expedition.

Andy and Crispin are keen for the first trip to take place so that newcomers to the site will feel more comfortable about entrusting their boats to strangers.

Under the scheme it is up to sailors to check their exchange partners' experience as a sailor and arrange insurance coverage. They can ask for a security deposit to cover the cost of an insurance claim if something goes wrong.

Mr Holliday said: "There will be some who say they wouldn't want people taking their boats out, but no one is compelled to join."

Business partner Crispin said: "It is a good idea and a very simple way to travel."