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A final 24-hour stretch. Another day battling through the unforgiving ocean. A final stretch with aching hands clutching relentless paddles.

But after more than 8,000 nautical miles at sea – an extraordinary 165-day expedition through Pacific waters that included intimate meetings with marine giants, failing beacons and sweet treat crises – the ocean presented a final test.

A gusting 20-knot wind near Cairns continuously drove their compact craft, the Velocity, away from solid ground that was now achingly close.

Friends and family waited ashore as a planned midday arrival evolved into afternoon, subsequently 4pm, then twilight hours. Ultimately, at 6:42 PM, they reached the Cairns sailing club.

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

"Breezes were forcing us off course, and we genuinely believed we might fail. We found ourselves beyond the marked route and contemplated a final swim to land. To ultimately arrive, following years of planning, proves truly extraordinary."

The Extraordinary Expedition Starts

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

Across nearly half a year on water, they covered approximately 50 sea miles each day, rowing in tandem during the day, one rowing alone at night while her crewmate slept minimal sleep in a confined sleeping area.

Survival and Challenges

Nourished by 400kg of preserved provisions, a water desalinator and an onboard growing unit for micro-greens, the pair have relied on an inconsistent solar power setup for only partial electrical requirements.

Throughout the majority of their expedition across the vast Pacific, they've had no navigation equipment or signaling devices, creating a phantom vessel scenario, 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.

Record-Breaking Achievement

Yet they continued paddling, each pull following the last, through scorching daylight hours, under star-filled night skies.

They achieved an unprecedented feat as the initial female duo to paddle over the South Pacific, without breaks or external assistance.

And they have raised more than £86,000 (A$179,000) supporting Outward Bound.

Existence Onboard

The pair did their best 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 still more than 1,600km to go – but granted themselves the pleasure of opening one bar to mark the English squad's winning the Rugby World Cup.

Individual Perspectives

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

She has now mastered another ocean. Yet there were periods, she admitted, when failure seemed possible. Starting within the first week, a way across the world's largest ocean seemed unachievable.

"Our energy was failing, the water-maker pipes burst, yet after numerous mends, we achieved an alternative solution and simply continued struggling with little power throughout the remaining journey. Every time something went wrong, we just looked at each other and went, 'naturally it happened!' But we kept going."

"Having Jess as a partner proved invaluable. Our mutual dedication stood out, we problem-solved together, and we were always working towards the same goals," she said.

Rowe hails from Hampshire. Prior to her Pacific success, she rowed the Atlantic, hiked England's South West Coast Path, scaled the Kenyan peak and biked through Spain. Additional challenges probably remain.

"We shared such wonderful experiences, and we're already excited to plan new adventures collectively once more. I wouldn't have done it with anybody else."