Calling for “pizza and beer” Lachlan, Ewan and Jaimie McLean alerted the Cairns, Australia marina that they were near the end of their historic 9,000-mile rowing trip from Lima, Peru to Australia. They had just crossed the world’s largest ocean by oar power alone and without assistance.
The brothers departed Peru in mid-April with the intention of arriving in Sydney, Australia on August 2 or so. But it was not to be. Crossing the South Pacific is a monumental task, involving a wide range of weather conditions. The hurricane season runs from November to March so they were not in danger of severe storms.
But, they certainly encountered their share of tumultuous weather. In one storm, Lachlan was washed over the side and had to be rescued. And, toward the end, the storms just kept coming.
“The last couple of weeks have been really hard,” Jamie told ABC. “Our expectations being crushed when we thought we were going to arrive and then getting hit by storm after storm, just getting knocked back, getting thrown north.”
The brothers say that it is their brotherly commitment that made the record-breaking journey a success. They had rowed across the North Atlantic in 2020, setting a new record for the route, and along the way they raised a handsome amount of money for charity.
“We are able to speak very directly to one another,” Jamie said previously. “Good communication has been key to this journey.”
With the Pacific trip, the McLeans set out to create a new record but they also rowed to raise money for charities and NGOs that help the natives of Madagascar develop clean, safe sources of drinking water. Their goal was one million British pounds and by journey’s end they had raised 850,000 of that.
“We want to have a positive impact on other people, that is ultimately what this journey is about,” Ewan previously told CNN. “Seeing the donations come in and the messages of support have really helped us through some pretty bleak times.”
