🔗 Share this article

One more day. Another day battling through the unforgiving ocean. Another round of raw palms clutching relentless paddles.

Yet after traversing 8,000+ sea miles on the water – a monumental half-year voyage over the Pacific Ocean that included intimate meetings with marine giants, defective signaling devices and cocoa supply emergencies – the sea had one more challenge.

Strong 20-knot breezes near Cairns continuously drove their small vessel, their rowing boat Velocity, off course from land that was now painfully near.

Friends and family waited ashore as a scheduled lunchtime finish became 2pm, followed by 4pm, then twilight hours. Finally, at 6.42pm, they reached the Cairns marina.

"The concluding hours proved absolutely punishing," Rowe said, finally standing on land.

"Gusts were driving us from the passage, and we honestly thought we weren't going to make it. We found ourselves beyond the marked route and thought we might have to swim to shore. To ultimately arrive, following years of planning, proves truly extraordinary."

The Monumental Voyage Commences

The English women – Rowe is 28 and Payne 25 – departed from Lima, Peru on 5 May (an earlier April effort was stopped by equipment malfunction).

During 165 ocean days, they covered approximately 50 sea miles each day, paddling together in daylight, one rowing alone at night while her crewmate slept a bare handful of hours in a cramped cabin.

Perseverance and Difficulties

Nourished by 400kg of preserved provisions, a saltwater conversion device and an integrated greens production unit, the pair have relied on an inconsistent solar power setup for limited energy demands.

During most of their voyage over the enormous Pacific, they lacked directional instruments or beacon, turning them into a "ghost ship", nearly undetectable to passing ships.

The women endured 30-foot swells, navigated shipping lanes and survived violent tempests that, at times, silenced all of their electronics.

Record-Breaking Achievement

Yet they continued paddling, stroke by relentless stroke, across blazing hot days, beneath celestial nightscapes.

They have set a new record as the initial female duo to row across the South Pacific Ocean, continuously and independently.

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

Daily Reality at Sea

The duo made every effort to keep in contact with the world away from their compact craft.

Around day one-forty, they reported a "chocolate emergency" – diminished to merely two remaining pieces with another 1,600 kilometers ahead – but granted themselves the pleasure of breaking one open to mark the English squad's triumph in global rugby competition.

Individual Perspectives

Payne, from a landlocked part of Yorkshire, had not been at sea until she rowed the Atlantic solo in 2022 achieving record pace.

She has now mastered another ocean. But there were moments, she admitted, when they doubted their success. As early as day six, a route across the globe's vastest waters seemed unachievable.

"Our energy was failing, the freshwater system lines broke, however following multiple fixes, we managed a bypass and barely maintained progress with reduced energy during the final expedition phase. Whenever issues arose, we merely made eye contact and went, 'naturally it happened!' But we kept going."

"Having Jess as a partner proved invaluable. What was great was that we worked hard together, we resolved issues as a team, and we perpetually pursued common aims," she stated.

Rowe originates from Hampshire. Preceding her ocean conquest, she paddled the Atlantic, hiked England's South West Coast Path, climbed Mount Kenya and pedaled across Spanish terrain. Further adventures likely await.

"Our collaboration proved incredibly rewarding, and we're eagerly anticipating future expeditions together as well. Another teammate wouldn't have worked."