Scottish brothers on world record bid now closer to astronauts than humans on earth
Scottish brothers who are attempting a world-record-breaking row across the Pacific Ocean are now officially closer to astronauts on board the International Space Station than they are people on Earth.
Ewan, Jamie and Lachlan Maclean are 40 days into their 9,000 mile journey from Lima in Peru to Sydney, Australia and are bidding 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.
Right now, they are approximately 2,700 nautical miles from Lima and the nearest inhabited land to them is Marquesas Island in French Polynesia, 1,150NM away.
It means the International Space Station, which orbits around 400km above sea level, is currently closer to them than any human on Earth.
The brothers are at third of the way through their journey and have reached a major milestone, day 35. That is how long it took them to complete their row of the Atlantic in 2020, 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.
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'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.'
The brothers, from Edinburgh, are doing the row on their 28-foot carbon fibre boat named after their late sister Rose Emily.
They take it in shifts around the clock and are fighting 30-foot waves and temperatures above 30 degree Celcius.
With no engine, no sail and no support crew, they are surviving on rehydrated meals, desalinated water and the occasional square of chocolate.
'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.
The brothers are attempting to row across the pacific (Image: MacLean Foundation)
'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
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