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One last sunrise to sunset. One more day up and down merciless swells. Another round of raw palms clutching relentless paddles.

Yet after traversing 8,000+ sea miles across the ocean – an epic five-and-a-half-month journey through Pacific waters that included near brushes with cetaceans, malfunctioning navigation equipment and chocolate shortages – the waters delivered a last obstacle.

A gusting 20-knot wind approaching Cairns kept pushing their small vessel, the Velocity, away from solid ground that was now achingly close.

Loved ones gathered on land as a scheduled lunchtime finish became 2pm, then 4pm, then twilight hours. Finally, at 6.42pm, they reached the Cairns sailing club.

"The concluding hours proved absolutely punishing," Rowe stated, at last on firm earth.

"Breezes were forcing us off course, and we truly doubted we would succeed. 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, proves truly extraordinary."

The Extraordinary Expedition Starts

The UK duo – 28-year-old Rowe and 25-year-old Payne – set out from Peruvian shores in early May (a first try in April was halted by steering issues).

During 165 ocean days, they covered approximately 50 sea miles each day, working as a team through daytime hours, individual night shifts while her crewmate slept just a few hours in a cramped cabin.

Perseverance and Difficulties

Kept alive with 400kg of mostly freeze-dried food, a saltwater conversion device and a vessel-based sprout cultivation system, the women counted on an inconsistent solar power setup for a fraction of the power they've needed.

Throughout the majority of their expedition over the enormous Pacific, they've had no navigation equipment or beacon, making them essentially invisible, nearly undetectable to passing ships.

The pair have borne 9-metre waves, crossed commercial routes and endured raging storms that, at times, silenced all of their electronics.

Groundbreaking Success

Still they maintained progress, each pull following the last, across blazing hot days, below stellar evening heavens.

They established a fresh milestone as the first all-female pair to cross the southern Pacific by rowing, continuously and independently.

Additionally they collected more than £86,000 (179,000 Australian dollars) for the Outward Bound Trust.

Existence Onboard

The women attempted to maintain communication with civilization beyond their small boat.

Around day one-forty, they reported a "chocolate emergency" – down to their last two bars with another 1,600 kilometers ahead – but granted themselves the pleasure of breaking one open to mark the English squad's triumph in global rugby competition.

Individual Perspectives

Payne, hailing from inland Yorkshire, had not been at sea prior to her independent Atlantic journey in 2022 in a record time.

Another ocean now falls to her accomplishments. But there were moments, she acknowledged, when they doubted their success. Starting within the first week, a path over the planet's biggest sea felt impossible.

"Our power was dropping, the water-maker pipes burst, however following multiple fixes, we achieved an alternative solution and simply continued struggling with minimal electricity for the rest of the crossing. Each time problems occurred, we just looked at each other and went, 'typically it occurred!' Still we persevered."

"Having Jess as a partner proved invaluable. What was great was that we worked hard together, we problem-solved together, and we perpetually pursued common aims," she remarked.

Rowe hails from Hampshire. Preceding her ocean conquest, she paddled the Atlantic, hiked England's South West Coast Path, scaled the Kenyan peak and pedaled across Spanish terrain. Additional challenges probably remain.

"We had such a good time together, and we're enthusiastically preparing additional journeys collectively once more. Another teammate wouldn't have worked."