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One last sunrise to sunset. One more day up and down the unforgiving ocean. Another round of raw palms holding onto unyielding oars.

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

Powerful 20-knot gusts near Cairns continuously drove their small vessel, the Velocity, off course from land that was now achingly close.

Loved ones gathered on land as a planned midday arrival shifted to 2pm, followed by 4pm, then early evening. Finally, at 6.42pm, they came alongside the Cairns sailing club.

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

"Gusts were driving us from the passage, and we truly doubted we would succeed. We found ourselves beyond the marked route and contemplated a final swim to land. To ultimately arrive, following years of planning, just feels incredible."

The Epic Journey Begins

The British pair – Rowe is 28 and Payne 25 – pushed off from Lima, Peru on 5 May (an initial attempt in April was derailed by a rudder failure).

During 165 ocean days, they averaged 50 nautical miles a day, paddling together in daylight, individual night shifts while her crewmate slept a bare handful of hours in a cramped cabin.

Survival and Challenges

Sustained by 400 kilograms of dehydrated meals, a water desalinator and an integrated greens production unit, the duo depended upon an unpredictable photovoltaic arrangement for limited energy demands.

For much of their journey through the expansive ocean, they've had no navigation equipment or signaling devices, turning them into a "ghost ship", nearly undetectable to passing ships.

The pair have borne 9-metre waves, navigated shipping lanes and survived violent tempests that, on occasion, disabled all electrical systems.

Groundbreaking Success

And they've kept rowing, one stroke after another, during intensely warm periods, 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 over eighty-six thousand pounds (179,000 Australian dollars) benefiting the outdoor education charity.

Daily Reality at Sea

The women attempted to keep in contact with the world beyond their small boat.

During the 140s of their journey, they declared a "cocoa crisis" – down to their last two bars with over 1,000 miles remaining – but permitted themselves the luxury of opening one bar to celebrate England's Red Roses victory in the World Cup.

Individual Perspectives

Payne, hailing from inland Yorkshire, lacked ocean experience until she rowed the Atlantic solo during 2022 establishing a record.

She has now mastered another ocean. However there were instances, she admitted, when they doubted their success. Starting within the first week, a route across the globe's vastest waters appeared insurmountable.

"Our energy was failing, the water-maker pipes burst, yet after numerous mends, we accomplished a workaround and simply continued struggling with reduced energy during the final expedition phase. Each time problems occurred, we merely made eye contact and went, 'of course it has!' But we kept going."

"Having Jess as a partner proved invaluable. The remarkable aspect was our collaborative effort, we addressed challenges collectively, and we consistently shared identical objectives," she remarked.

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

"We shared such wonderful experiences, and we're already excited to plan new adventures as a team again. Another teammate wouldn't have worked."