When the Maclean brothers—Jamie, Ewan, and Lachlan—first set their sights on the vast expanse of the South Pacific, few could have imagined the scale of the challenge they were about to undertake. Departing from Lima, Peru in mid-April 2025, the Scottish highland siblings embarked on a 9,000-mile journey by oar, aiming to reach the shores of Australia powered solely by their own strength and determination. Their quest, spanning 139 days and culminating in a world record, was not just about personal achievement, but also about making a tangible difference for communities in need.
According to BBC Scotland, the Maclean brothers arrived in Cairns, Australia, on August 30, 2025, after 139 grueling days at sea. Their journey, completed in the carbon fiber boat Rose Emily, set a new world record for rowing nonstop and unsupported across the Pacific Ocean. This wasn’t their first brush with record books; the trio had previously claimed a record for rowing across the much shorter North Atlantic route in 2020—a feat that hinted at their tenacity and skill.
But what really sets this adventure apart isn’t just the numbers or the accolades. It’s the sheer human drama and purpose that propelled them forward. The brothers were motivated by a mission to raise one million British pounds for charities and NGOs working to provide clean, safe drinking water in Madagascar. As Jamie told ABC, “The last couple of weeks have been really hard. 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.”
Indeed, the Pacific is not a body of water to be trifled with. While the hurricane season runs from November to March—meaning the brothers avoided the worst of the tropical cyclones—they still faced a relentless barrage of tumultuous weather. At one point, a particularly vicious 36-hour storm with 20-foot seas forced them into lengthy detours. The most harrowing moment came when Lachlan was washed overboard. Though tied to the boat by a safety line, he was dragged through the churning waters until Ewan managed to haul him back aboard. “It was pretty scary, I’m not going to lie,” Lachlan later admitted, describing an ordeal that could have ended very differently.
Despite these dangers, the brothers’ commitment to each other—and to their cause—never wavered. Jamie reflected on their dynamic during the journey, saying, “We are able to speak very directly to one another. Good communication has been key to this journey.” This ability to communicate openly, honed over years of shared adventure and sibling rivalry, proved essential as they faced setback after setback in the final weeks. Storms repeatedly dashed their hopes of a timely arrival, forcing them to recalibrate and dig deeper into their reserves of grit.
Yet, even as the ocean battered their boat and their spirits, the Macleans found motivation in the steady stream of support from donors and well-wishers. “We want to have a positive impact on other people, that is ultimately what this journey is about,” Ewan explained to CNN. “Seeing the donations come in and the messages of support have really helped us through some pretty bleak times.” By the time they reached Australia, they had raised 869,000 British pounds for their Madagascar water projects, with the goal of reaching a full million still firmly in their sights.
On their Facebook page, the brothers shared the surreal feeling of returning to land after four and a half months at sea. “This was our life for four and a half months. And now, it’s not. Of all the utterly surreal experiences at sea, being back on land is even more so.” The transition from the endless horizon of the Pacific to the bustling marina at Cairns was, by their own admission, almost as disorienting as the storms they had braved.
Their arrival was not without its lighter moments. As they neared the end of their journey, the brothers radioed ahead to the Cairns marina with a simple, heartfelt request: “pizza and beer.” After months of rationed food and unbroken routine, the prospect of a hot meal and a cold drink must have seemed almost as distant as the Australian coast had once appeared from Peru.
Throughout their odyssey, the Macleans relied on their brotherly bond to see them through. Their previous Atlantic crossing in 2020 had already tested their limits, but the Pacific presented an entirely new scale of endurance. More than once, their expectations of a swift finish were dashed by nature’s unpredictability. Yet, as Jamie remarked, it was their commitment to each other—and to the cause of clean water in Madagascar—that kept them rowing through the toughest days.
The brothers’ journey has captured the imagination of supporters around the world, not just for its athletic and logistical achievement, but for its sense of purpose. The funds raised will support vital projects in Madagascar, where access to clean water remains a daily struggle for many communities. Their efforts highlight how even the most audacious personal challenges can be harnessed for the greater good.
As the Macleans continue to raise the remaining funds needed to meet their one million pound target, their story stands as a testament to the power of perseverance, teamwork, and compassion. The world may remember their record-setting voyage across the Pacific, but for the brothers themselves—and for those whose lives will be changed by their fundraising—the real victory lies in the impact they have made beyond the water’s edge.
For now, as they savor the comforts of solid ground and the camaraderie that only such an ordeal can foster, one thing is clear: the Maclean brothers have proven that with determination, unity, and a sense of higher purpose, even the world’s largest ocean can be crossed, one stroke at a time.
