Strength, Perseverance, Integrity, Resilience, Inspiration, Trust

January 26, 2016 4:22 AM

Yesterday the Coxless Crew, a team of four women, completed their unsupported row across the Pacific. It took them 257 days to travel 8446 miles in three stages - San Francisco to Hawaii, then to Samoa, and completing their journey at Cairns. They travelled in a 29-foot long pink boat called Doris.

They are not the first to row across the Pacific - it's been done before by solo and pair teams, but never by a team of four and never as a continuous three stage row.

Their aim was to break world records and raise money for injured servicewomen and breast cancer care.

posted by Stark (10 comments total)

I had never heard of this, very cool, strong brave women! Good for them!
posted by mermayd at 5:23 AM on January 26, 2016

I am so grateful to learn of this. Those team values are indeed super inspiring: "By completing this challenge the team wish to inspire others to reach for their own potential and to meet the challenges that life throws at them, however big or small. We will all have to face our own Pacific Ocean at some point in our lives."

From the team's blog:

Pressure points on the bum cheeks causing shooting pains when in a seated position – but there is no other position, it is the rowing position and to get to Cairns we need to sit like this. Whilst getting constantly splashed, and whilst watching the miles dissolve painfully slowly, out here, whilst sitting on the oars, it is sometimes difficult to remember why we are actually putting ourselves through this. But then you remember, that it is our choice to do this. We are choosing to cross the Pacific, and yet many people don’t choose to cross their own Pacific. In fact they are forced to face it, and then cross it.

posted by brainwane at 6:27 AM on January 26, 2016 [1 favorite]

If anyone else was curious about how they sleep, this blog post goes into some detail. I had some terrifying idea they slept seated. But there's two small cabins, two at a time fit and can lie down. This other post has some photos inside the fore cabin.
posted by Nelson at 7:28 AM on January 26, 2016 [1 favorite]

Wow, that's horrifying and awesome. I hope they all get a real nice vacation after this.
posted by suelac at 8:24 AM on January 26, 2016

"You came here in that thing? You're braver then I thought."

Seriously, that's a hell of an achievement.
posted by happyroach at 8:56 AM on January 26, 2016 [1 favorite]

You'd have to be really good friends to sleep in those cabins.
posted by tavella at 9:04 AM on January 26, 2016 [1 favorite]

Did they roll those with 4d6 drop the lowest? Or did they brass-ball it with a Gygaxian 3d6, in order?
posted by Sebmojo at 11:29 AM on January 26, 2016 [1 favorite]

We live in Cairns and my husband and daughter went down to the marina to see them come in. We'd been tracking them the last few days. Frustratingly they basically got stuck about 20 nmi off Cairns for a night, due to currents, and then got caught in another strong current the following day that had them making negative progress. I can't even imagine how frustrating and infuriating it would be, at the end of that massive trip, to literally have your end point in sight and not be able to reach it. Good on them for persevering and finishing.
posted by olinerd at 1:24 PM on January 26, 2016 [1 favorite]

That's incredible. Also, the team name is sheer delight.
posted by rmd1023 at 3:47 PM on January 26, 2016

wow. that is the coolest thing.

more of this, please, world. less working for bad reasons and more long-distance rowing for good reasons.
posted by You Can't Tip a Buick at 7:01 PM on January 26, 2016