'Nautical nurses' cross Atlantic

The nurses' boat the Dream Maker crosses the Atlantic

A Gwynedd nurse has crossed the finish line after successfully rowing across the Atlantic ocean.

The trip covered 2,550 miles(4,103km), and took Elin Haf Davies from Y Bala and Herdip Sidhu two and a half months.

The women, dubbed the nautical nurses, work at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London and took part in the challenge to raise funds for research.

Speaking in Antigua after crossing the finish line Ms Davies said the trip had at times been "overwhelming".

Ward sister Herdip Sindhu and senior research nurse Elin Haf Davies took part in the Woodvale Atlantic Rowing Race to raise funds for research into metabolic conditions.

The race started at La Gomera in the Canary Islands on 2 December, and finished on Sunday in Antigua in the West Indies - the equivalent of crossing the English Channel 128 times.

It was the lack of sleep which was the biggest problem Elin Haf Davies, Atlantic rower

A blog of their journey on the Great Ormond Street Hospital website notes the trials and tribulations the pair endured on the trip.

It was not all plain sailing with freak waves and severe sea sickness.

Ms Davies, who had been plagued by tooth ache for the last days of the journey, said "antibiotics and adrenaline" had kept her going at the end.

"It was a really odd feeling to row into the harbour and we were under quite a bit of strain because my parents were flying out and they had not arrived at that point.

"I was absolutely desperate for mum and dad to be there when we got in, and it worked out fine in the end," she said.

The pair said they were overjoyed they had completed the trip

Before setting off the pair said they realised the rowing would be just 10% of the trip and Ms Davies said that turned out to be right.

"It was the lack of sleep which was the biggest problem, which then affected how you worked things out, and things seemed worse.

"The darkness at night was also scary, and stormy seas meant the trip took longer than our estimated 65 days.

"We dealt with things in a different way so it did put a strain on things, but we have been through a massive experience together," said Ms Davies.

"The best thing was seeing nature at its best, when the seas were calm we saw a whale, dolphins and a giant rainbow. It was so tranquil.

"It really makes you feel small, and I've learnt to be a lot more patient," she added.