Around Alone sailor Alan Paris almost came off second best in two separate confrontations with freighters as he continued his journey north to Brazil.

Paris, skipper of BTC Velocity, is currently heading towards Salvador from Tauranga in New Zealand on Leg Four of the arduous round-the-world event.

During a thunderstorm which unleashed 35 knot winds, he was shocked to see a freighter steaming towards him less than a quarter of a mile away.

"There was no way he saw me until the last minute," said the Bermudian.

If that was not scary enough, shortly after he spotted another vessel heading for him from a distance of two miles.

"We both disappeared into the squall," he said. "(And with) visibility less than a quarter of a mile and we did not see each other again."

Paris said they were the first two ships he had seen since New Zealand and described both incidents as "near misses".

"Since that morning excitement it has been one squall after another for 36 hours, non stop, no breaks," he said. "Fifty degree wind shifts and winds from five knots to 28 knots."