Captain Woodfield went to sea aged 16, joined the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey and subsequently became the foremost Polar navigator of the century, attaining the furthest South for any vessel in the Weddell Sea. He joined the Board of Trinity House, sailed in a Round the World Yacht Race, supported Sir Ran Fiennes on his Transglobe venture and sailed with Sir Robin Knox Johnston in the Sail Training vessel, Malcolm Miller. He served on Antarctic and Falkland Island advisory committees and lectured on those topics.