Ewan, Jamie, and Lachlan Maclean, from Edinburgh, are 40 days and around 2,700 nautical miles into their 9,000-mile journey – an unsupported row from Lima, Peru, to Sydney, Australia – in a bid to become the fastest team to row the Pacific and raise £1 million for clean water projects in Madagascar via their charity, The Maclean Foundation.
While the International Space Station orbits approximately 250 miles (400km) above sea level, the Maclean brothers are now around 2,700 nautical miles (NM) from Lima and still approximately 1,150NM away from the Marquesas Islands in French Polynesia.
Beneath their boat, the Pacific Ocean plunges to around 6,000 metres -- nearly four miles straight down, which is deeper than Ben Nevis stacked five times over. Despite the deep blue below, the brothers are regularly closing their mind to the thought of sharks and diving in to clean the boat’s hull – giving them a fighting chance at the world record they hope to achieve.
To stave off the loneliness and isolation, the brothers celebrated, who are now a third of the way through their journey, celebrated with a fish supper – with a twist: freshly caught mahi-mahi, marinated in lime and soy sauce, served over rehydrated rice, followed by instant hot chocolate and a packet of jelly sweets for dessert.
Now a third of the way through their epic journey, the brothers have also reached another major milestone of their expedition – Day 35 – the length of time it took them to complete their 2020 Atlantic row, which earned them three world records.
“We’ve officially reached the middle of nowhere,” said Ewan, a former Dyson engineer who’s spent much of the trip wrestling with a broken auto helm.
“It’s been a grind to get here — this row has been much tougher than any of us anticipated. And if the auto helm issues don’t sort themselves, we might be out here for another 150 days. Breaking it into tiny milestones has been important psychologically.
“We knew it would be monotonous. But there have definitely been stretches that felt like a never-ending purgatory: rowing in the same beam-on conditions, day after day..
“That being said, we’re incredibly lucky to be doing this, just so fortunate to have this incredible once in a lifetime opportunity. It’s type two fun, but that’s still fun. The messages we’ve received from home have kept us going through our hardest points and morale is very high right now. We’re doing it.”
Now well into the crossing aboard their 28-foot carbon fibre boat, Rose Emily – named in memory of their late sister – the brothers row in shifts around the clock, fighting 30-foot waves and temperatures unusual to Scots at over 30 degrees Celsius.
There is no engine, no sail, and no support crew. They survive on rehydrated meals, desalinated water, and the occasional square of chocolate “saved for emergencies”.
“We’re not great at being uncomfortable,” said Lachlan, 26, who will celebrate his birthday on June 9.
“We’re just naive enough to start and stubborn enough to finish.
“We’ve had dolphins surfing off the bow, whales breaching metres from the boat, and waves soaking everything just as we get dry. It’s brutal, brilliant, and bizarre in equal measure. Sometimes the lows are unavoidable, but they always pass. Looking for the positives goes a long way out here.
“Would I get off the boat tomorrow if I could? Genuinely, I don’t think I would. Even though it’s been achingly hard, we’re drawn to what lies in the uncharted waters beyond 35 days at sea.”
Despite the discomfort — including salt sores, mental fog, and rowing blisters on top of blisters — they’ve found moments of joy. From impromptu jam sessions to tending a mini lettuce garden planted in a repurposed Tupperware box, morale remains afloat.
Jamie, who is also nursing a burn from cooking on board, said: “It’s the little things. At times it’s tough. Same weather. Same food. Same crap rowing. Same crap company. Terrible sleep. Then do it again. And again. And again, I’ve found solace inside my Tupperware box. I’ve always enjoyed the process of planting things. I remember being immensely proud of my carrot patch at Steiners – the fantastic and somewhat alternative school I attended for most of my childhood.
“I draw so much hope from planting seeds. The potential of what those little things can become never ceases to amaze me. Time will tell if we see any life from this odd-looking lunch box, but it’s been a welcome distraction to the afternoon slump. Fishing has been another highlight and I daydream of tuna steaks and a crisp, fresh side salad.”
The brothers expect to be at sea for another 70 to 80 days.
Supporters can track their progress and donate to their £1 million fundraising target at www.themacleanbrothers.com