Three brothers from the Maclean family in Scotland have set a new world record by spending 139 days rowing across the Pacific Ocean from Peru to Australia using only their hands.
According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), Jamie, Ewan, and Lachlan Maclean set off from the Peruvian capital of Lima in April and sailed a distance of 14,000 kilometers over 139 days, ultimately arriving in Cairns, a coastal city in northern Queensland, Australia, on August 30.
They broke the record set by Russian explorer Fedor Konyukhov in 2014 for crossing the Pacific in 159 days, becoming the first team to row all the way from South America to Australia solely by human power.
Their journey aimed to raise funds for a clean water project in Madagascar, with a goal of assisting 40,000 people. So far, they have raised over £795,000 (approximately $1.07 million). Their endeavor has garnered attention from various celebrities, including American actor Mark Wahlberg, who had conversations with the trio during their ocean voyage.
The four-month journey was not without challenges. Adverse weather conditions prevented them from reaching their intended destination of Sydney, and the final weeks were especially grueling as they encountered multiple storms.
The brothers overcame various difficulties along the way, including seasickness, injuries, extreme weather, malfunctions of their desalination machine and autopilot, and diminishing food supplies. Lachlan even survived a terrifying fall overboard during a night shift, thankfully rescued by Ewan in time.
Finally reaching Cairns, the brothers sailed into the pier playing bagpipes and waving the flags of Australia and the UK. Dozens of family members, supporters, and fans welcomed them, including their mother.
Ewan, upon coming ashore, described the journey as “quite overwhelming.” Still unsteady on land, they were happy to finally set foot on solid ground.
Their friend Isla Dolling expressed admiration for their accomplishments, stating, “Honestly, it’s hard to put into words… what they’ve done is really remarkable, and they make it all seem like just another day in the office.”
As the eldest brother, Jamie told the BBC that the transpacific journey was physically and mentally “extremely grueling,” but added, “We formed an excellent team and together we overcame this immense challenge.”
Just a few hours before reaching Cairns, Jamie uploaded a short video on Instagram, sending a message to the pier. He humorously asked, “Do you have pizza and beer? I’ll say it again, do you have pizza and beer? Over and out.”
Upon landing, the brothers indeed enjoyed pizza and beer, a treat they were unable to have during their sea voyage.
To accomplish the journey without any external support, they were unable to land on islands for supplies or accept assistance from passing vessels. They had to carry all their food, including 500 kilograms of frozen goods and 75 kilograms of oats.
Lachlan mentioned that they also had military rations stored but were reluctant to eat them as they were meant for emergencies and did not taste good. If they ran out of other food, their “last resort” was to fish with the portable fishing rods they carried.
He highlighted that the “superpower” that enabled them to complete the journey was the deep bond between the brothers. They could be completely honest with each other, and apparently shared a lot of common history, which likely made disagreements less likely.
Reflecting on the new record they set, Ewan remarked, “This is the hardest thing I’ve ever done, and I wouldn’t have even thought about it without my brothers.”
(The related video can be viewed
here)