OCEAN oarsman Andrew Barnett ended the first week of his Atlantic row battered and bruised, but firmly on course to complete his epic 2,950-mile epic voyage.

Speaking by satellite phone from his 21-foot long ocean boat, the Monmouth Rowing Club father of two said: "We've done over 350 miles, but it's tough going. We've been really knocked around by 15 foot side waves - you just see a huge wall of water rise up beside you and you think 'this is it, we're going over'.

"It's up and down all the time and batters you from side to side, but thankfully the boat just rides over the top.

"It's really hard to row a stroke and resting is impossible, too, because you're being thrown against the walls of the cabin."

But despite the hardship, the 46-year-old and his Guatemalan crewmate, Juan Carlos Sagastume, are confident of reaching Antigua in the West Indies.

"We're in good spirits and getting into the groove of it, despite blisters on blisters and sore feet and backsides" said Barnett, whose boat MayaBrit is one of 25 in the Woodvale Atlantic Rowing Race.

"Rowing four hours on, two off, was just too hard, so now it's one on, half an hour off, doing 16 hours a day, and that's working well.

"We're both committed endurance racers and we've never had any doubts about making it.."

The duo took the northern most course of all the boats after last week's start in the Canary Islands, and were lying sixth after the first week and fourth of the pairs.

"It was a gamble, hoping we'd get better following winds than we've had," said Barnett, whose boat is 15 miles ahead of double Olympic champion James Cracknell and TV presenter crewmate Ben Fogle.

"But conditions are improving and we're getting five knots coming down some of the waves, now.

"Mentally we're fine, and although we were both seasick on the first day, we've got our sea legs now, while sleep wise, we're both used to little rest from our endurance races in the icelands of Alaska and the Yukon - 20 minutes here and there is doing us fine.

"We've just caught two fish at out first attempt, so we're looking to have our first bit of fresh food later today.

"Everything's going to plan, and despite the isolation and physical stress, me and Juan Carlos are getting along well. At least I haven't thumped him yet," laughed the 46-year-old.

And he chuckled when told of Sydney and Athens hero Cracknell's tales of loneliness, tiredness and thoughts of giving up in his first week, as reported in a national newspaper.

"Sorry, Crackers, this is endurance racing mate, not six minutes on dead flat water," said Barnett. "You expect it to be tough, that's the whole point of doing it, a long drawn out test of the human spirit. You've got to be in it for the long haul, and with 2,500 miles still to go, me and Juan Carlos are definitely up for it."

The duo are likely to take another six to seven weeks, and while they have two bottles of rum on board for medical purposes, they hope to crack one open on Christmas Day.

Only 200 people have rowed the Atlantic, and if successful, Barnett will become the second Monmouth man to do so after Rob Munslow earlier this year.

You can keep up with his progress at www.atlanticrowingrace.co.uk