🔗 Share this article

One last sunrise to sunset. Another day battling through the pitiless slide. A final stretch with aching hands holding onto unyielding oars.

However following over 15,000 kilometers across the ocean – an extraordinary 165-day expedition over the Pacific Ocean that included close encounters with whales, failing beacons and chocolate shortages – the ocean presented a final test.

Strong 20-knot breezes approaching Cairns repeatedly forced their compact craft, their rowing boat Velocity, off course from land that was now painfully near.

Supporters anticipated on shore as a scheduled lunchtime finish shifted to 2pm, subsequently 4pm, then early evening. At last, at eighteen forty-two, they arrived at the Cairns sailing club.

"Those last hours tested every fiber," Rowe said, eventually on solid ground.

"The wind was pushing us off the channel, and we genuinely believed we might fail. We ended up outside the channel and contemplated a final swim to land. To finally be here, after talking about it for so long, just feels incredible."

The Epic Journey Begins

The English women – aged 28 and 25 respectively – set out from Peruvian shores on May fifth (an earlier April effort was stopped by equipment malfunction).

During 165 ocean days, they covered approximately 50 sea miles each day, rowing in tandem during the day, single rower overnight while her partner rested just a few hours in a confined sleeping area.

Perseverance and Difficulties

Nourished by 400kg of preserved provisions, a saltwater conversion device and an onboard growing unit for micro-greens, the pair have relied on an inconsistent solar power setup for a fraction of the power they've needed.

Throughout the majority of their expedition across the vast Pacific, they lacked directional instruments or location transmitters, making them essentially invisible, nearly undetectable to passing ships.

The women endured 30-foot swells, navigated shipping lanes and survived violent tempests that, periodically, shut down every electronic device.

Groundbreaking Success

And they've kept rowing, each pull following the last, through scorching daylight hours, beneath celestial nightscapes.

They achieved an unprecedented feat as the initial female duo to cross the southern Pacific by rowing, continuously and independently.

And they have raised in excess of £86k (Australian $179,000) benefiting the outdoor education charity.

Daily Reality at Sea

The duo made every effort to stay connected with society beyond their small boat.

Around day one-forty, they announced a "sweet treat shortage" – diminished to merely two remaining pieces with still more than 1,600km to go – but permitted themselves the luxury of breaking one open to mark the English squad's winning the Rugby World Cup.

Individual Perspectives

Payne, hailing from inland Yorkshire, lacked ocean experience before her solo Atlantic crossing in 2022 achieving record pace.

She has now mastered another ocean. However there were instances, she acknowledged, when they feared they wouldn't make it. Starting within the first week, a path over the planet's biggest sea felt impossible.

"Our energy was failing, the desalination tubes ruptured, yet after numerous mends, we managed a bypass and barely maintained progress with reduced energy during the final expedition phase. Every time something went wrong, we just looked at each other and went, 'of course it has!' Still we persevered."

"Jess made an exceptional crewmate. The remarkable aspect was our collaborative effort, we addressed challenges collectively, and we perpetually pursued common aims," she said.

Rowe is from Hampshire. Before her Pacific triumph, she rowed the Atlantic, hiked England's South West Coast Path, ascended Mount Kenya and cycled across Spain. There might still be more.

"We shared such wonderful experiences, and we're eagerly anticipating future expeditions collectively once more. Another teammate wouldn't have worked."