Rob Abernethy, left, and Mike Noel-Smith may try again

"At one stage I thought we might not make it," said 31-year-old Rob Abernethy.

His rowing partner Mike Noel-Smith, 45, from Herefordshire, smashed his head on the side of the boat four days ago and has been suffering from concussion.

Despite his ordeal he has not ruled out another attempt to row across the Indian Ocean.

"I certainly think I would like to have another crack at it because it's something which has not beaten us, it's just put us off for the moment," he said.

Mr Smith is now being seen by doctors on board HMAS Newcastle.

He said he felt better than he had since the accident happened, but wanted to know the extent of his injury.

HMAS Newcastle was sent to rescue the stranded men

"I'm just waiting to see whether they tell me my brain is still intact," he said.

He and Mr Abernethy, from south London, were left drifting 1,500 miles off the west coast of Australia after the storm, during which they lost their rudder.

Mr Abernethy said: "The rescue was a bit scary in as much as everything was happening in the pitch black in rough seas."

HMAS Newcastle had sent out a couple of warning flares as it neared the boat and then lowered two dinghies to rescue them.

"Completely shot"

One picked up the men and the other towed their rowing boat to the frigate, where it was winched aboard.

"The funny thing is we kept falling over when we got on to the Newcastle because we spent so long on our cramped little boat - our land legs were completely shot," said Mr Abernethy.

Mr Noel-Smith's relieved wife Elizabeth said Mr Abernethy had rung her when they had been lifted onto HMAS Newcastle and were safe.

"Rob said it was incredible the way they took Mike up," she told BBC News.

Record attempt

Depending on his condition, the frigate will return to Fremantle or may divert to somewhere nearer.

Mr Noel-Smith and Mr Abernethy set off on their 4,400 mile journey, from Carnarvon, Western Australia, to Reunion Island, east of Madagascar in Africa, last month.

While zipped into the survival cabin of their boat as they drifted, the pair had to endure heavy seas.

At one stage the boat overturned - it stayed upside down for two minutes.

The former Army officers had been hoping to set a record for rowing across the Indian Ocean and raise �250,000 for a children's charity.