🔗 Share this article 'The last stretch proved absolutely grueling': UK duo finish epic voyage in Down Under after paddling across Pacific Ocean One more day. One more day up and down the pitiless slide. One more day of blistered hands holding onto unyielding oars. But after more than 8,000 nautical miles on the water – an extraordinary 165-day expedition through Pacific waters that included near brushes with cetaceans, defective signaling devices and cocoa supply emergencies – the waters delivered a last obstacle. A gusting 20-knot wind approaching Cairns kept pushing their compact craft, the Velocity, from the terra firma that was now painfully near. Friends and family waited ashore as an expected noon touchdown shifted to 2pm, subsequently 4pm, then twilight hours. Ultimately, at 6:42 PM, they arrived at Cairns Yacht Club. "Those last hours tested every fiber," Rowe said, at last on firm earth. "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 Monumental Voyage Commences The English women – aged 28 and 25 respectively – departed from Lima, Peru on May fifth (an earlier April effort was derailed by a rudder failure). Across nearly half a year on water, they covered approximately 50 sea miles each day, paddling together in daylight, one rowing alone at night while her partner rested just a few hours in a confined sleeping area. Endurance and Obstacles Kept alive with 400kg of mostly freeze-dried food, a saltwater conversion device and an onboard growing unit for micro-greens, the duo depended upon a less-than-reliable solar system 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 pair have borne 9-metre waves, navigated shipping lanes and weathered furious gales that, at times, disabled all electrical systems. Groundbreaking Success Still they maintained progress, one stroke after another, through scorching daylight hours, beneath celestial nightscapes. They achieved an unprecedented feat as the pioneering women's team to paddle over the South Pacific, without breaks or external assistance. Additionally they collected in excess of £86k (A$179,000) for the Outward Bound Trust. Life Aboard 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" – diminished to merely two remaining pieces with over 1,000 miles remaining – but allowed themselves the indulgence of unwrapping a portion to celebrate England's Red Roses victory in the World Cup. Individual Perspectives Payne, originating from Yorkshire's non-coastal region, lacked ocean experience until she rowed the Atlantic solo in 2022 achieving record pace. She has now mastered another ocean. Yet there were periods, she admitted, when failure seemed possible. Beginning on the sixth day, a route across the globe's vastest waters appeared insurmountable. "Our power was dropping, the freshwater system lines broke, but after nine repairs, we accomplished a workaround and simply continued struggling with reduced energy during the final expedition phase. Whenever issues arose, we just looked at each other and went, 'naturally it happened!' Yet we continued forward." "Jess made an exceptional crewmate. The remarkable aspect was our collaborative effort, we addressed challenges collectively, and we consistently shared identical objectives," she remarked. Rowe hails from Hampshire. Preceding her ocean conquest, she paddled the Atlantic, trekked England's coastal trail, scaled the Kenyan peak and cycled across Spain. Additional challenges probably remain. "We shared such wonderful experiences, and we're eagerly anticipating future expeditions as a team again. I wouldn't have done it with anybody else."