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One more day. One more day up and down the unforgiving ocean. Another round of raw palms clutching relentless paddles.

Yet after traversing 8,000+ sea miles at sea – an extraordinary 165-day expedition through Pacific waters that included near brushes with cetaceans, malfunctioning navigation equipment and chocolate shortages – the waters delivered a last obstacle.

Strong 20-knot breezes near Cairns continuously drove their tiny rowboat, the Velocity, off course from land that was now achingly close.

Loved ones gathered on land as a planned midday arrival shifted to 2pm, subsequently 4pm, then early evening. At last, at eighteen forty-two, they came alongside the Cairns sailing club.

"Those final few hours were brutal," Rowe said, eventually on solid ground.

"Gusts were driving us from the passage, and we honestly thought we weren't going to make it. We drifted outside the navigational path and contemplated a final swim to land. To ultimately arrive, after talking about it for so long, proves truly extraordinary."

The Monumental Voyage Commences

The UK duo – 28-year-old Rowe and 25-year-old Payne – pushed off from Lima, Peru on May fifth (an earlier April effort was halted by steering issues).

Across nearly half a year on water, they averaged 50 nautical miles a day, working as a team through daytime hours, one rowing alone at night while her teammate dozed just a few hours in a cramped cabin.

Endurance and Obstacles

Nourished by 400kg of preserved provisions, a water desalinator and a vessel-based sprout cultivation system, the duo depended upon an inconsistent solar power setup for only partial electrical requirements.

Throughout the majority of their expedition over the enormous Pacific, they've had no navigation equipment or beacon, 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, shut down every electronic device.

Groundbreaking Success

And they've kept rowing, one stroke after another, across blazing hot days, below stellar evening heavens.

They achieved an unprecedented feat as the initial female duo to cross the southern Pacific by rowing, non-stop and unsupported.

And they have raised over eighty-six thousand pounds (179,000 Australian dollars) supporting Outward Bound.

Existence Onboard

The pair did their best to maintain communication with civilization 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 allowed themselves the indulgence of breaking one open to celebrate England's Red Roses triumph in global rugby competition.

Personal Reflections

Payne, originating from Yorkshire's non-coastal region, had not been at sea until she rowed the Atlantic solo in 2022 in a record time.

She now has a second ocean conquered. But there were moments, she acknowledged, when failure seemed possible. Beginning on the sixth day, a way across the world's largest ocean felt impossible.

"Our energy was failing, the desalination tubes ruptured, however following multiple fixes, we managed a bypass and simply continued struggling with minimal electricity for the rest of the crossing. Each time problems occurred, we simply exchanged glances and went, 'typically it occurred!' Yet we continued forward."

"It was really great to have Jess as a teammate. What was great was that we worked hard together, we resolved issues as a team, and we perpetually pursued common aims," she remarked.

Rowe originates from Hampshire. Preceding her ocean conquest, she crossed the Atlantic by rowing, walked the southwestern English coastline, scaled the Kenyan peak and biked through Spain. There might still be more.

"We shared such wonderful experiences, and we're already excited to plan new adventures collectively once more. No other partner would have sufficed."