TWO friends from Newport are currently in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, battling severe storms as they bid to row to South America.
Stefan Vine and Johnnie Ball are tackling the 3,800-mile journey, from Portugal to French Guiana, to raise £100,000 for dementia carers - a cause close to their hearts following the death of Mr Ball's father from the illness.
Joined by qualified expedition medic Dirk Von Delft, who is from South Africa, the two novice rowers were on Thursday on day 44 of their adventure and are on the "last leg" of the journey.
But that last leg is a formidable one, and the three crew members of the Forget Me Knot have nearly half of their journey remaining before they reach dry land again.
Any hopes the trio had of a smooth voyage were dashed almost immediately, when storms hampered their progress.
"For a couple of weeks they had really bad weather, and they were getting thrown around like ragdolls," Mr Vine's uncle, Graeme Kean, said.
"They haven't had an easy crossing."
To make matters worse on those stormy days, the crew relies on solar panels for all their electricity - without sunshine, vital equipment like their satellite phone won't function.
"If they go through a bad patch of weather and can't charge the batteries, they're out of contact," Mr Kean added.
"It's frightening, because at one point they were in the shipping lanes, and didn't have enough power to let other ships know where they were."
But despite their trials, the Forget Me Knot crewmen have had "a lots of ups as well", Mr Kean said, and are currently enjoying much smoother weather and seas as they head westwards.
When the conditions allow, the three are updating their followers via a blog and on Facebook, and have also managed to call into Radio 5 Live for a series of interviews.
Their adventure has also won huge support from the public, so far raising £65,000 for their chosen charities.
To donate to the fundraiser, visit www.gofundme.com/f/forget-me-knot-atlantic-row
Tuesday's rowing achieved the trio a personal best for the voyage, clocking 74.5 nautical miles - a far cry from the slow progress they made in the storms and headwinds of the early weeks.
"They're feeling positive," Mr Kean said. "Hopefully it's an easier last leg."
The Forget Me Knot carries the three crew members' names and their national flags.
And in a nod to Newport, Mr Vine has also included the city's coat of arms, complete with its fitting motto terra marique - meaning "land and sea".
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