CAIRNS: Three Scottish brothers stepped ashore in Australia on Saturday after claiming a new record for rowing non-stop and unsupported across the Pacific Ocean, "over the moon" to be back on dry land.
Ewan, Jamie and Lachlan MacLean set off in a carbon fibre dinghy from Lima in Peru in April for the 14,500 kilometres journey, enduring violent storms and sickness during their 139 days at sea.
At one point Ewan was swept overboard before being pulled back into the boat, while they battled exhaustion and feared running out of food. "The fastest human-powered crossing of the full Pacific Ocean, non-stop and unsupported," they said on social media after arriving in Cairns. "After 139 days at sea, we are over the moon to be back on land with our friends and family," they added.
The brothers, from Edinburgh, were given a bagpipe welcome in front of family and friends after the treacherous ordeal, which garnered support from celebrities including Mark Wahlberg and Ewan McGregor. "Things got tough towards the end and we seriously thought we might run out of food," said middle brother Jamie. "Despite how exhausted we were, we had to step up a gear and make it before supplies ran out, but now we get to eat proper food."
While the mid-Pacific - from California to Hawaii - is well travelled, relatively few have attempted the full Pacific from South America to Australia. Lithuanian solo rower Aurimas Mockus had to abandon his crossing attempt this year due to Tropical Cyclone Alfred. "This has been the hardest thing I've ever done, and I couldn't have even contemplated it without my brothers," said Ewan. "There have been countless setbacks to overcome, some leaving us lost, but we've always lifted each other up."
Days before landing in Cairns, brothers said they had to battle currents off the coast. "We're going to be rowing three up as we navigate through the Great Barrier Reef and away from shipping lanes, all while fighting against horrendous winds," they said.
The brothers were raising money for clean water projects in Madagascar. They broke three world records crossing the Atlantic Ocean in 2020, without ever having rowed professionally, making the journey from La Gomera in Canary Islands to Antigua in 35 days.