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One more day. One more day up and down the unforgiving ocean. One more day of blistered hands holding onto unyielding oars.

However following over 15,000 kilometers at sea – an extraordinary 165-day expedition over the Pacific Ocean that included near brushes with cetaceans, malfunctioning navigation equipment and cocoa supply emergencies – the sea had one more challenge.

A gusting 20-knot wind approaching Cairns kept pushing their tiny rowboat, the Velocity, from the terra firma that was now achingly close.

Friends and family waited ashore as an expected noon touchdown evolved into afternoon, followed by 4pm, then dusk. At last, at eighteen forty-two, they arrived at the Cairns marina.

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

"Breezes were forcing us off course, 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 at last reach our destination, after talking about it for so long, just feels incredible."

The Extraordinary Expedition Starts

The British pair – Rowe is 28 and Payne 25 – pushed off from Lima, Peru on 5 May (a first try in April was halted by steering issues).

During 165 ocean days, they maintained 50 nautical miles daily, working as a team through daytime hours, one rowing alone at night while her partner rested a bare handful of hours in a confined sleeping area.

Perseverance and Difficulties

Sustained by 400 kilograms of dehydrated meals, a water desalinator and a vessel-based sprout cultivation system, the pair have relied on an inconsistent solar power setup for only partial electrical requirements.

Throughout the majority of their expedition through the expansive ocean, they operated without navigation tools or signaling devices, making them essentially invisible, hardly noticeable to maritime traffic.

The women endured 30-foot swells, crossed commercial routes and weathered furious gales that, at times, silenced all of their electronics.

Record-Breaking Achievement

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

They established a fresh milestone as the first all-female pair to paddle over the South Pacific, without breaks or external assistance.

And they have raised more than £86,000 (Australian $179,000) benefiting the outdoor education charity.

Life Aboard

The pair did their best to maintain communication with civilization away from their compact craft.

On "day 140-something", they announced a "sweet treat shortage" – reduced to their final two portions with another 1,600 kilometers ahead – but granted themselves the pleasure of unwrapping a portion to celebrate England's Red Roses triumph in global rugby competition.

Personal Reflections

Payne, from a landlocked part of Yorkshire, had not been at sea before her solo Atlantic crossing in 2022 achieving record pace.

She has now mastered another ocean. However there were instances, she admitted, when they doubted their success. Beginning on the sixth day, a way across the world's largest ocean felt impossible.

"Our electrical systems were diminishing, the water-maker pipes burst, however following multiple fixes, we managed a bypass and simply continued struggling with little power during the final expedition phase. Each time problems occurred, we merely made eye contact and went, 'naturally it happened!' But we kept going."

"Jess made an exceptional crewmate. The remarkable aspect was our collaborative effort, we addressed challenges collectively, and we were always working towards the same goals," she stated.

Rowe is from Hampshire. Preceding her ocean conquest, she rowed the Atlantic, walked the southwestern English coastline, climbed Mount Kenya and biked through Spain. There might still be more.

"Our collaboration proved incredibly rewarding, and we're eagerly anticipating future expeditions as a team again. No other partner would have sufficed."