In 1923, George Mallory was asked by the American press why he wanted to climb Mount Everest. His reported reply of “because it is there” has gone down in legend.
For many, the prospect of crossing an ocean under their own power promises a similar kind of challenge, the likes of which cannot be found elsewhere.
Where it all began
In 1896, George Harbo and Frank Sameulsen landed in Scilly, becoming the first people to row across the Atlantic after 55 days at sea.
Just 90 years later, Sir Chay Blyth and John Ridgway would row from Cape Cod to Ireland. Blyth went on to organise the first official race across the Atlantic, known as the World’s Toughest Row, which sees teams depart from La Gomera and row some 3,000 miles unsupported to Antigua.
Crossings have extended beyond the Atlantic too, with the World’s Toughest Row now having a Pacific race as well, and some teams taking on challenges independently in waters as extreme as those of the Arctic.
Why row an ocean?
To put it simply, it promises a challenge like no other. Though long training hours and punishing physical tests are hardly unfamiliar in rowing or endurance sports, they are nothing compared to what it takes to cross an ocean.
Just getting to the start line is a mammoth task in itself. Entry fees and equipment costs easily reach into the tens of thousands of pounds, so teams must often seek sponsorship or acquire crowdfunding, and the extra work does not stop there.
World’s Toughest Row requires that athletes complete various courses around navigation, first aid, radio, and sea survival to give them the best chance of completing the crossing. Furthermore, to qualify to start the race, each athlete must have completed at least 120 hours of training at sea, 24 of which must be at night, including one session that must have lasted over 36 hours.
The physical and psychological challenge is unparalleled as well. Short of actually crossing an ocean, there is no way to know what days of rowing on end, often on a two hours on to two hours off sleep schedule, will feel like. Aches and pains, pressure and salt sores, sleep deprivation and hallucination are almost inevitable occurrences on a crossing. It is a challenge that ensures everything is put to the test.
Given the amount of time, commitment and money it takes to cross an ocean, it is perhaps not something that appeals to all.
Seas the Day
One team that has ventured beyond the Atlantic is the Seas the Day crew.
Miriam Payne and Jess Rowe first came face-to-face in Antigua in 2023 after both finishing the World’s Toughest Row (then called the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge). Just over two years later, on April 8 2025, they set off from Peru on a challenge of an even greater scale.
They were attempting to row some 8,000 miles across the Pacific to Australia, in an effort to raise funds for the Outward Bound Trust. Their crossing is well-documented on Instagram, giving followers an insight into the highs and lows of the adventure, whether it be dealing with broken rudders and water filters, or catching a yellowfin tuna, their first source of fresh food in 130 days.
I was lucky enough to have a chance to speak to Jess and Miriam whilst on their journey, and ask some questions about their experience.
Having both rowed across an ocean before, did you approach this challenge any differently from the first time around?
We’ve been able to streamline a lot of things because we’ve had that knowledge from doing it before.
This has been a completely different challenge in the way that it’s much bigger and it’s much further than the Atlantic, so we’ve almost treated it like we’re doing it from scratch just to make sure we cover all the bases and we’re not missing anything.
It’s an incredible physical challenge, but also a mental one. Is there anything you did to prepare for the psychological side of it?
I guess it sort of happened by accident, but we probably ended up training for the sleep deprivation just from the pure volume of work we had to do. We were coming home from work, going to the gym, which could be a couple of hours long, then onto the laptop to sort out sponsorship and all of the other admin tasks, so most nights we’d be up until one or two in the morning. Then, we’d have to wake up at six or seven for work the next day.
I think if I had to say anything, it would just do little things in day-to-day life to make yourself a little bit uncomfortable just to get used to it. It could be an extra ten minutes in the gym or just doing that extra rep. Just little things that help build up resilience.
What has surprised you most about the row?
I think we’d have to say the weather. The weather on the Pacific has been really calm. We’ve had no storms so far, and it’s been quite low wind a lot of the time, which means that rowing has been really hard.
It’s pretty much been an absolute slog from start to finish. It’s quite hard on the bodies and the minds just keeping going in those conditions.
What has been the best moment of the row for you so far?
I think when we saw a sperm whale. It probably was less than five meters from the boat and came out of nowhere. It was absolutely incredible. We love seeing wildlife in the natural habitat. We’ve seen turtles, we’ve seen dolphins and sealions, and a few sharks. I think those are always the best moments.
What advice would you give to someone who is aspiring to row across an ocean?
Know that you will not have a minute of free time, but it will be absolutely worth it in the end. It’s incredibly hard work to get to the start line. But for that finish line moment, it is so worth it.
The Seas the Day crew is currently over 140 days into their challenge and have less than 1000 miles to go. Completing it will see them achieve something done by fewer people than those who have walked in space.
Their enduring, good-humoured responses to the various obstacles they have encountered along the way are plain to see in the videos they have shared from the journey, and are testament to the extraordinary grit and resilience of the team. Their website provides more insight into the challenge, as well as details for how to support their cause.
Tempted to have a go yourself?
For those looking to get a taste of the kind of endurance and stamina, coastal rowing has become more popular, with events added across the country that are often longer than the best-known races of the rowing calendar.
Dartmouth Royal Regatta, for instance, has races of six and eight kilometres out to sea.
Opportunities can be found inland as well, with events such as the Great River Race on the Thames and Monster the Loch on Loch Ness boasting courses of over 20 miles, providing the chance to put your endurance to the test without having to commit to crossing an entire ocean.
Crossing an ocean may be rowing’s equivalent to Everest, but that’s not to say that its other mountains aren’t worth climbing as well.
Photo credits: Seas the Day
