🔗 Share this article

One more day. Another day battling through the unforgiving ocean. One more day of blistered hands holding onto unyielding oars.

But after more than 8,000 nautical miles across the ocean – an epic five-and-a-half-month journey across the Pacific that included near brushes with cetaceans, malfunctioning navigation equipment and cocoa supply emergencies – the waters delivered a last obstacle.

Strong 20-knot breezes near Cairns kept pushing their tiny rowboat, their boat Velocity, off course from land that was now achingly close.

Friends and family waited ashore as a scheduled lunchtime finish shifted to 2pm, then 4pm, then dusk. Ultimately, at 6:42 PM, they came alongside Cairns Yacht Club.

"Those final few hours were brutal," Rowe said, finally standing on land.

"The wind was pushing us off the channel, and we honestly thought we weren't going to make it. We found ourselves beyond the marked route and considered swimming the remaining distance. To at last reach our destination, following years of planning, just feels incredible."

The Extraordinary Expedition Starts

The British pair – 28-year-old Rowe and 25-year-old Payne – set out from Peruvian shores in early May (an initial attempt in April was derailed by a rudder failure).

During 165 ocean days, they covered approximately 50 sea miles each day, rowing in tandem during the day, one rowing alone at night while her crewmate slept just a few hours in a cramped cabin.

Survival and Challenges

Sustained by 400 kilograms of dehydrated meals, a water desalinator and a vessel-based sprout cultivation system, the pair have relied on an unpredictable photovoltaic arrangement for limited energy demands.

Throughout the majority of their expedition over the enormous Pacific, they lacked directional instruments or beacon, turning them into a "ghost ship", hardly noticeable to maritime traffic.

The duo faced nine-meter waves, traversed marine highways and survived violent tempests that, at times, disabled all electrical systems.

Groundbreaking Success

And they've kept rowing, stroke by relentless stroke, through scorching daylight hours, beneath celestial nightscapes.

They have set a new record as the pioneering women's team to paddle over the South Pacific, without breaks or external assistance.

Furthermore they gathered over eighty-six thousand pounds (A$179,000) for the Outward Bound Trust.

Existence Onboard

The women attempted to maintain communication with civilization beyond their small boat.

Around day one-forty, they reported a "chocolate emergency" – down to their last two bars with another 1,600 kilometers ahead – but granted themselves the pleasure of breaking one open to celebrate England's Red Roses victory in the World Cup.

Personal Insights

Payne, hailing from inland Yorkshire, lacked ocean experience before her solo Atlantic crossing during 2022 establishing a record.

She now has a second ocean conquered. But there were moments, she acknowledged, when failure seemed possible. As early as day six, a path over the planet's biggest sea appeared insurmountable.

"Our power was dropping, the freshwater system lines broke, however following multiple fixes, we managed a bypass and barely maintained progress with minimal electricity for the rest of the crossing. Whenever issues arose, we just looked at each other and went, 'typically it occurred!' But we kept going."

"Jess made an exceptional crewmate. What was great was that we worked hard together, we addressed challenges collectively, and we perpetually pursued common aims," she said.

Rowe is from Hampshire. Before her Pacific triumph, she paddled the Atlantic, hiked England's South West Coast Path, climbed Mount Kenya and cycled across Spain. Additional challenges probably remain.

"We shared such wonderful experiences, and we're enthusiastically preparing additional journeys as a team again. Another teammate wouldn't have worked."