π Share this article 'Those concluding hours tested every limit': UK duo finish epic journey in Down Under after rowing across the vast Pacific A final 24-hour stretch. One more day up and down the pitiless slide. One more day of blistered hands holding onto unyielding oars. Yet after traversing 8,000+ sea miles on the water β an epic five-and-a-half-month journey over the Pacific Ocean that included near brushes with cetaceans, defective signaling devices and cocoa supply emergencies β the ocean presented a final test. A gusting 20-knot wind off Cairns kept pushing their compact craft, their boat Velocity, away from solid ground that was now achingly close. Friends and family waited ashore as an expected noon touchdown evolved into afternoon, then 4pm, then early evening. Ultimately, at 6:42 PM, they arrived at the Cairns sailing club. "Those final few hours were brutal," Rowe said, eventually on solid ground. "The wind was pushing us off the channel, and we honestly thought we weren't going to make it. We ended up outside the channel and thought we might have to swim to shore. To ultimately arrive, following years of planning, just feels incredible." The Monumental Voyage Commences The UK duo β Rowe is 28 and Payne 25 β pushed off from Lima, Peru in early May (a first try in April 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 teammate dozed just a few hours in a tight compartment. Survival and Challenges Kept alive with 400kg of mostly freeze-dried food, a seawater purification system and a vessel-based sprout cultivation system, the pair have relied on an unpredictable photovoltaic arrangement for limited energy demands. During most of their voyage across the vast Pacific, they operated without navigation tools or location transmitters, creating a phantom vessel scenario, hardly noticeable to maritime traffic. The duo faced nine-meter waves, crossed commercial routes and survived violent tempests that, periodically, shut down every electronic device. Record-Breaking Achievement Still they maintained progress, one stroke after another, across blazing hot days, beneath celestial nightscapes. They established a fresh milestone as the first all-female pair to row across the South Pacific Ocean, non-stop and unsupported. And they have raised in excess of Β£86k (179,000 Australian dollars) supporting Outward Bound. Existence Onboard The pair did their best to stay connected with society beyond their small boat. During the 140s of their journey, they declared a "cocoa crisis" β diminished to merely two remaining pieces with another 1,600 kilometers ahead β but granted themselves the pleasure of opening one bar to mark the English squad's triumph in global rugby competition. Personal Insights Payne, originating from Yorkshire's non-coastal region, lacked ocean experience prior to her independent Atlantic journey in 2022 in a record time. She now has a second ocean conquered. But there were moments, she acknowledged, when they doubted their success. Starting within the first week, a route across the globe's vastest waters seemed unachievable. "Our energy was failing, the freshwater system lines broke, but after nine repairs, we accomplished a workaround and simply continued struggling with little power throughout the remaining journey. Each time problems occurred, we simply exchanged glances and went, 'naturally it happened!' Yet we continued forward." "Having Jess as a partner proved invaluable. What was great was that we worked hard together, we addressed challenges collectively, and we perpetually pursued common aims," she stated. Rowe hails from Hampshire. Before her Pacific triumph, she paddled the Atlantic, trekked England's coastal trail, ascended Mount Kenya and pedaled across Spanish terrain. Further adventures likely await. "We had such a good time together, and we're enthusiastically preparing additional journeys as a team again. Another teammate wouldn't have worked."