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One last sunrise to sunset. One more day up and down the unforgiving ocean. One more day of blistered hands gripping unforgiving oars.

But after more than 8,000 nautical miles at sea – an epic five-and-a-half-month journey through Pacific waters that included close encounters with whales, malfunctioning navigation equipment and chocolate shortages – the sea had one more challenge.

A gusting 20-knot wind near Cairns kept pushing their tiny rowboat, their boat Velocity, off course from land that was now painfully near.

Loved ones gathered on land as an expected noon touchdown evolved into afternoon, then 4pm, then dusk. Ultimately, at 6:42 PM, they came alongside the Cairns sailing club.

"Those last hours tested every fiber," Rowe stated, finally standing on land.

"Gusts were driving us from the passage, and we genuinely believed we might fail. We ended up outside the channel and thought we might have to swim to shore. To at last reach our destination, after talking about it for so long, seems absolutely amazing."

The Monumental Voyage Commences

The British pair – Rowe is 28 and Payne 25 – set out from Peruvian shores in early May (an earlier April effort was derailed by a rudder failure).

Over 165 days at sea, 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 tight compartment.

Perseverance and Difficulties

Sustained by 400 kilograms of dehydrated meals, a saltwater conversion device and an integrated greens production unit, the pair have relied on an unpredictable photovoltaic arrangement for limited energy demands.

For much of their journey across the vast Pacific, they've had no navigation equipment or beacon, turning them into a "ghost ship", almost invisible to other vessels.

The pair have borne 9-metre waves, navigated shipping lanes and endured raging storms that, on occasion, silenced all of their electronics.

Historic Accomplishment

And they've kept rowing, each pull following the last, across blazing hot days, under star-filled night skies.

They have set a new record as the first all-female pair to row across the South Pacific Ocean, non-stop and unsupported.

Furthermore they gathered over eighty-six thousand pounds (A$179,000) for the Outward Bound Trust.

Life Aboard

The duo made every effort to maintain communication with civilization beyond their small boat.

Around day one-forty, they declared a "cocoa crisis" – down to their last two bars with over 1,000 miles remaining – but granted themselves the pleasure of unwrapping a portion to mark the English squad's triumph in global rugby competition.

Personal Insights

Payne, originating from Yorkshire's non-coastal region, was unacquainted with maritime life before her solo Atlantic crossing during 2022 establishing a record.

Another ocean now falls to her accomplishments. Yet there were periods, she admitted, when failure seemed possible. Starting within the first week, a route across the globe's vastest waters appeared insurmountable.

"Our electrical systems were diminishing, the water-maker pipes burst, yet after numerous mends, we managed a bypass and barely maintained progress with minimal electricity during the final expedition phase. Each time problems occurred, we merely made eye contact and went, 'of course it has!' Yet we continued forward."

"It was really great to have Jess as a teammate. The remarkable aspect was our collaborative effort, we addressed challenges collectively, and we consistently shared identical objectives," she said.

Rowe originates from Hampshire. Before her Pacific triumph, she crossed the Atlantic by rowing, hiked England's South West Coast Path, ascended Mount Kenya and biked through Spain. Further adventures likely await.

"We shared such wonderful experiences, and we're enthusiastically preparing additional journeys collectively once more. No other partner would have sufficed."