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One last sunrise to sunset. One more session navigating merciless swells. Another round of raw palms gripping unforgiving oars.

Yet after traversing 8,000+ sea miles at sea – an epic five-and-a-half-month journey over the Pacific Ocean that included intimate meetings with marine giants, malfunctioning navigation equipment and sweet treat crises – the sea had one more challenge.

Powerful 20-knot gusts near Cairns repeatedly forced their small vessel, their rowing boat Velocity, from the terra firma that was now painfully near.

Friends and family waited ashore as an expected noon touchdown shifted to 2pm, then 4pm, then dusk. Finally, at 6.42pm, they arrived at the Cairns marina.

"Those last hours tested every fiber," Rowe stated, at last on firm earth.

"Breezes were forcing us off course, and we honestly thought we weren't going to make it. We found ourselves beyond the marked route and thought we might have to swim to shore. To ultimately arrive, after talking about it for so long, just feels incredible."

The Epic Journey Begins

The UK duo – Rowe is 28 and Payne 25 – pushed off from Lima, Peru on May fifth (an earlier April effort was stopped by equipment malfunction).

Over 165 days at sea, they maintained 50 nautical miles daily, paddling together in daylight, single rower overnight while her partner rested just a few hours in a confined sleeping area.

Survival and Challenges

Kept alive with 400kg of mostly freeze-dried food, a seawater purification system and a vessel-based sprout cultivation system, the women counted on an inconsistent solar power setup for limited energy demands.

For much of their journey across the vast Pacific, they've had no navigation equipment or beacon, making them essentially invisible, hardly noticeable to maritime traffic.

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

Historic Accomplishment

Still they maintained progress, stroke by relentless stroke, during intensely warm periods, beneath celestial nightscapes.

They have set a new record as the first all-female pair to paddle over the South Pacific, continuously and independently.

Furthermore they gathered over eighty-six thousand pounds (Australian $179,000) supporting Outward Bound.

Daily Reality at Sea

The pair did their best to stay connected with society beyond their small boat.

On "day 140-something", they reported a "chocolate emergency" – down to their last two bars with still more than 1,600km to go – but allowed themselves the indulgence of opening one bar to mark the English squad's winning the Rugby World Cup.

Personal Insights

Payne, originating from Yorkshire's non-coastal region, was unacquainted with maritime life prior to her independent Atlantic journey during 2022 establishing a record.

Another ocean now falls to her accomplishments. Yet there were periods, she conceded, when failure seemed possible. Beginning on the sixth day, a path over the planet's biggest sea felt impossible.

"Our energy was failing, the freshwater system lines broke, yet after numerous mends, we accomplished a workaround and barely maintained progress with minimal electricity for the rest of the crossing. Whenever issues arose, we just looked at each other and went, 'of course it has!' But we kept going."

"It was really great to have Jess as a teammate. The remarkable aspect was our collaborative effort, we problem-solved together, and we consistently shared identical objectives," she said.

Rowe hails from Hampshire. Prior to her Pacific success, she paddled the Atlantic, trekked England's coastal trail, scaled the Kenyan peak and biked through Spain. There might still be more.

"Our collaboration proved incredibly rewarding, and we're already excited to plan new adventures collectively once more. I wouldn't have done it with anybody else."