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A final 24-hour stretch. Another day battling through the pitiless slide. Another round of raw palms gripping unforgiving oars.

But after more than 8,000 nautical miles across the ocean – an extraordinary 165-day expedition over the Pacific Ocean that included intimate meetings with marine giants, failing beacons and cocoa supply emergencies – the ocean presented a final test.

A gusting 20-knot wind near Cairns repeatedly forced their small vessel, the Velocity, off course from land that was now painfully near.

Supporters anticipated on shore as a planned midday arrival evolved into afternoon, subsequently 4pm, then twilight hours. Ultimately, at 6:42 PM, they came alongside Cairns Yacht Club.

"Those final few hours were brutal," Rowe stated, at last on firm earth.

"Breezes were forcing us off course, and we genuinely believed we might fail. We ended up outside the channel and considered swimming the remaining distance. To finally be here, after talking about it for so long, just feels incredible."

The Epic Journey Begins

The UK duo – 28-year-old Rowe and 25-year-old Payne – departed from Lima, Peru on May fifth (an initial attempt in April was halted by steering issues).

During 165 ocean days, they averaged 50 nautical miles a day, working as a team through daytime hours, single rower overnight while her partner rested minimal sleep in a confined sleeping area.

Endurance and Obstacles

Nourished by 400kg of preserved provisions, a seawater purification system and a vessel-based sprout cultivation system, the duo depended upon a less-than-reliable solar system for a fraction of the power they've needed.

During most of their voyage across the vast 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 endured raging storms that, periodically, silenced all of their electronics.

Groundbreaking Success

Still they maintained progress, stroke by relentless stroke, through scorching daylight hours, below stellar evening heavens.

They have set a new record as the first all-female pair to cross the southern Pacific by rowing, without breaks or external assistance.

Furthermore they gathered more than £86,000 (Australian $179,000) for the Outward Bound Trust.

Daily Reality at Sea

The duo made every effort to keep in contact with the world beyond their small boat.

On "day 140-something", they reported a "chocolate emergency" – diminished to merely two remaining pieces with still more than 1,600km to go – but allowed themselves the indulgence of opening one bar to celebrate England's Red Roses triumph in global rugby competition.

Personal Insights

Payne, from a landlocked part of Yorkshire, lacked ocean experience before her solo Atlantic crossing in 2022 achieving record pace.

She has now mastered another ocean. Yet there were periods, she admitted, when they feared they wouldn't make it. Starting within the first week, a route across the globe's vastest waters appeared insurmountable.

"Our power was dropping, the desalination tubes ruptured, but after nine repairs, we achieved an alternative solution and simply continued struggling with minimal electricity throughout the remaining journey. Each time problems occurred, we just looked at each other 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 resolved issues as a team, and we were always working towards the same goals," she remarked.

Rowe is from Hampshire. Prior to her Pacific success, she rowed the Atlantic, hiked England's South West Coast Path, ascended Mount Kenya and pedaled across Spanish terrain. Additional challenges probably remain.

"We had such a good time together, and we're eagerly anticipating future expeditions collectively once more. I wouldn't have done it with anybody else."