39 days at sea: rowing the Pacific Ocean

(wind howling) (crashing waves) (waves crashing) (dramatic music) This is a whole different level of ghastliness. (waves crashing) I don't want to know if this is making a difference because I can't come back. (crashing waves) (dramatic music) But 40 foot waves and 20 knot winds, I might have to get into the water. We are a huge risk of capsizing. (whoosh) Nothing could have prepared us for what we're about to face. (ticking clock) Thank god my brother's with me... (dramatic music) If he wasn't here, I'd be, uh, in a really bad place. (whoosh) (high pitched ring) (owl hoot) (eerie ringing) (haunting echo) (classical music starts) (wedding music) (crowd cheering) [OLIVER] Years have passed since the four of us were last together, and Ollie's wedding is the perfect day. (cheering) (cheering) (bells ringing) In the following days... Ollie

revealed his crazy idea for an adventure. And we hammered out a plan. How we use it to raise some big money for charities close to our hearts. (static) Joined now by somebody who is setting out (static) on a rather exciting and, I'm sure gruelling challenge across (static) 4,800 kilometres (static) to row the Pacific. This is a dream that I really wanted to become a reality. And... here we are. Uh, I'm rowing an ocean. (birds chirping) (footfalls) Since starting this campaign two and a half years ago... I... I got engaged. I got married. It's been... so long in the making. I kind of feel like we're both past the worry... and now I... I kind of want you to leave now. Because I just... (both laughing) I wanted to do this because it's something amazing. And...

something that I could never imagine myself doing. So are we gonna treat this like an adventure? Cause I tell you what, if a blue whale pops up... I don't know about you... but I've never seen a whale before in my life. I've... brought a team together... that have become brothers. K-T-B-M-F. Keep that boat moving forwards. (agreement) When choosing the team... the obvious choice is my brother. Probably the biggest challenge of our whole race... is you guys not killing each other. He is... not only my hero, but an actual war veteran hero. That is my daddy. [MAN] Really? [GIRL] Um hm. He's got his life sorted out. You know, I've... I've always been a little bit of an odd job... and I need him on this team. And the good thing is, if anything happens to

me... I now have a really good life insurance policy. I know, I was debating having talks with Paris and Barney and Ollie and just seeing if... you know... They can just knock me off. If it's worth it, yeah. After Harry, Paris Norriss, crewman number three. Paris and I, we went to school together at Millfield, and he always had my back. Fast forward 10 years, I meet up with him in Dubai. He is parachuting, he is skydiving, paramotoring, uh, scuba diving, free diving... creating this show called Guy in Dubai. Look at this. It is absolutely epic. I want that in my story to this campaign. Sound is rolling? Three, two, one. Action. Well, that has been an epic adventure... and these mountains have been glorious. But that's enough for me for this session. So I'll see

you next time. (wind blowing) Cut! Next up... Barney Lewis, crewman number four. We have had a relationship for 25 years. We have never had an argument. Uh, he's the man that is the funniest guy you meet. He's a joker. You know he and I have shared a lot of adventures over time. This strings back to our school days. (birds chirping) But that was the month in India, racing tuk-tuks. Yeah, I had no idea... (birds chirping) the dangers you were going to face. -What do you mean? -I didn't! -I didn't! -A month, a month in India! -Well I didn't! -On Indian roads? I've, I've got a nephew who lives in India. He has a lovely life. I've had no idea... that you were going to be running dangerous. -This... -You understand... This is a whole different

level of ghastliness. There's our team, the dream team, the problem is... (laugh) not only have we not rowed an ocean... (laugh) probably never rowed at all. (chuckles) You've got a serious week ahead. (wind) So... we'd better get on with it. (wind) And, uh... (wind) Well, we need a... Which way's, which way's the front? What are we doing? (60's beach music) [OLLIE] And so the training begins. (oars in water) If we're going to row 4,800 kilometres across the Pacific Ocean. It's now time to learn how. (splash) K-T-B-M-F, as Barney said. Keep that boat moving forward... (rowing sounds) which meant all the time. So we'll be rowing 24 hours a day. (beach music) That meant two hour rowing shifts. So we'd only get an hour and a half sleep at any one time. (splashing) We were going

to be unassisted (splash) with no support vessel. Which meant that we were going to be days away from any help if something went wrong. (splash) (beach music) So preparing for the worst was critical. Learning to survive at sea in a life raft had to be second nature, but we never wanted it to become a reality. (beach music) Pondering the endeavour was another obstacle. Thankfully, we've had generous sponsors, who supported the mission as well as our higher cause. (music fades) Two years have passed, and (door creaks) launch day is now on the horizon. The only thing that is left... (classical music) is the farewell charity dinner. My lords, ladies, gentlemen, welcome to the Brothers N' Oars fundraising gala, here at the Royal Hospital Chelsea. (crowd murmurs) Going once... Never before, have four men endured so much...

Just to avoid their wives. (laughter) Going twice... (classical music) 130,000... (gavel hits) Soooooold! (applause) (applause) The Blue Marine Foundation is one of the most important sustainability conservation charities of our planet. So I'm going to create something really valuable for the charity, for the auction tonight, so that we can raise a lot of money for this really important cause. (applause) (cheers) (applause) So I just wanted to wish luck to Harry, Ollie, Paris and Barney. Doing this incredible row. You're doing it for the Invictus Foundation, which is an incredible group. That has done such great work for veterans over many years. And I just wanted to wish you all the best. - Good luck. - I look forward to hearing the stories when you come back. (applause) (applause) (cheering) I was just wondering (applause) whether or not

James (crowd murmurs) might play us a song on his ukulele. (cheering) (cheers) Can we persuade you? (applause) (cheering) Please! (applause) (clapping) Woah! (applause) (applause) (clattering dishes) (applause) (hitting floor) (claps) Oh my God! (cheering) Oh my God! (applause) (clapping) Where's my ukulele? Yes! (cheering) (cheers) (whistling) (cheers) (applause) Okay, so... (cheers) (strumming) (applause) I think I bought the ukulele. (strumming) (cheers) ♪ I'm sending postcards from my heart ♪ ♪ with love for a postmark, ♪ (applause) ♪ and then, ♪ ♪ You know that yooou♪ (crowd claps) ♪ make me feel like ♪ ♪ we've been caught, ♪ (clapping) ♪ like kids in the school-yard again. ♪ ♪ And I can't keep it to myself. ♪ ♪ Can't spell it any better, ♪ ♪ L-O-V-E forever! ♪ ♪ I hope you'll knoooow, ♪ (birds chirping) ♪ that I'm

sending a postcard ♪ ♪ I don't care who sees what I've said. ♪ ♪ Oh yes, the whole world ♪ ♪ knows what's in my head ♪ ♪ Knooow... ♪ ♪ All the things I want you to ♪ ♪ Knooow...♪ (electric guitar playing) ♪ All the things I want you to know. ♪ (music fades) (unintelligible phone) (laughter) (laughter) I'll try not to, have my Hawaiian shirt ready. [PHONE] I'll bring something out for you to wear as well. Yeah... -[PHONE] Love you. -(laughs) Alright... take care mum. (unintelligible) (waves lapping) (seabirds) [CROWD] Three... Two... One... (crowd cheers) And just like that, the time has come. (crowd cheering) (cheers) [MAN] Yeah! (crowd cheering) (cheers) (clapping) [WOMAN] No arguing! (laughter) [MAN] Can't promise that! (laughter) (clapping) We have 55 days worth of food on board (cheers) to feed the

8,000 calories a day we're going to burn. (cheers) (air horns) From now on, we are on our own. (cheers) 122 people have ever attempted to cross the Pacific Ocean in a rowing boat. Only 82 had ever successfully made it. (dramatic music) What happened to the ones that didn't plays in our minds. We have lost sight of land over the horizon. A change of hearts is sweeping through all of us. And our schoolboy, bravado, has gone with it. From this point forward, we only have each other. I'm not going to lie. (dramatic music) Uh... this is harder... Than I imagined. I just vomited massively. Everything I had eaten and drank for the whole day just came up. Um... which means I've, I've been dehydrated all day. And, and I'm finding it now hard to eat. It's

really, really, wavy, and I just go side to side. It's just giving me cramps all over. Our bodies are in shock from rowing. 14 hours a day to keep this boat continuously moving. It is pretty tough. I think it would be fair to say everyone feels the same way. (dramatic music) It's got really hard. Um... I'm missing home a lot. [OLIVER] Mental exhaustion is also taking its toll with only one and a half hours sleep at a time before jumping on the oars again. (dramatic music) Tonight's going to be tough. In fact, we uh... We spoke with the safety officer. He said these are going to be the toughest 24 hours you've ever lived. (laughing) It's not very reassuring. (thunder) (high wind) Icy currents from Alaska have got (howling wind) 11 metre side-on waves that

can capsize the boat. (wind) We thought this would pass sooner, (windy storm) yet, eight days in, (wind) we're still battling against it. (howling wind) 10 degree Celsius waters, will cause hypothermia in 30 minutes. (watery storm) (gong) Death will follow in less than four hours. (raging wind) Huge tanker out there. (wind blowing) Now, we've got ourselves a broken oar where we almost capsized. (wind) Now, we're caught on to the para-anchor, you can see it. (crashing surf) And yours truly here, (waves lapping) got absolutely soaked. (waves) All the water down my jacket. (crashing waves) Whoa! (crashing waves) And, uh, yeah (pounding waves) Looks like we're locking in the cabins tonight... (waves crash) again! It's very much dawning on all of us more now than ever, that we still have another five weeks of this, and we've just

done the first week. (boat creaks) (oars splashing) We've got through the hardest part, I think. (waves lapping) The waves yesterday were just relentless. (dramatic music) Coming from the side. (waves lapping) - It was tough, it was really tough. - We've got through the hardest bit, then we're very lucky. And then the best news of today is that Paris is not remotely seasick, and he's eaten all his food (lapping waves) And now we're all worried he's going to eat all ours. But last night was quite hairy. (waves lapping) (lapping waves) We had those 30 foot waves, a beautiful sunset. (oars in water) Pretty, but a really angry sea. Feel some big waves. Now, look at this guy. (waves lapping) Ew! (dramatic music) They look big until you're on top of them and then you realise you're

the big guy. (laughing) (waves) (oars in water) (dramatic music) (oars in water) I'm gate crashing, I'm gate crashing the front of the cabin. I've done a raid. And it's in a shit state, as you can imagine, because Paris and Ollie live in it. (laughing) (creaking) Um... (boat rocking) And I'm actually thinking (creaking) I prefer the rear cabin. (creaking) (rolling waves) This mad rush to get all of the equipment (waves) out of the back cabin here (waves) is due to the fact (water lapping) the back cabin is mysteriously (water sloshing) filling up with water. (splashes) This is my cabin. (splashing) Trying to figure out whether we've got a fucking hole, or whether there's another, maybe coming from on deck. (splashing water) Yeah, this is um... this is worrying. (splashing) (boat creaking) (water splashing) Fucks sake! (clanking)

(water sloshing) (high pitched alarm) (splashing) Hello, Brothers N' Oars. How are you guys doing? We've been noticing a small build-up of water, which has now turned into... (creaking) um, about 40, 50 litres, uh, and growing (splashing) in the back cabin. (sloshing water) (clanking) We've been taking apart all of the other smaller cabins to find water also. And the whole thing is full of water. (waves) (waves lapping) Eh, well, the good news is I think we've actually figured it out already, ah and it, and it doesn't seem terminal. [RADIO] Is it just some water coming off the deck, eh? Uh, it must be from water coming on deck, I mean, you know, we've just bilged probably about (splashing water) 100 litres of water off the boat. (water sloshing) And I was just going to cut a

soft, wooden bung in half, uh, and just bung both ends of the pipe (boat rocking) so that the pipe no longer works. (creaking) Because there's another pipe on the other side, which does work. [RADIO] Maybe you can put a bit of duct tape on the (unintelligible) deck or below to cover that hole. Okay, that might be a better idea than to have to hammer bungs into the boat. Um... Okay, good. (lapping waves) [RADIO] Alright, catch you in the morning mates. We'll, we'll inform you sometime tomorrow. (lapping waves) (oars in water) It was a reminder that (waves lapping) uh... how vulnerable we are. Because if there is a hole in this hull, this is our home, and our home is going to sink. Um... And we've got this in our minds if we do, we're in

the middle of fucking nowhere. in our case, 500 nautical miles from that. [OLIVER] One predicament follows the other. And all our preparation never (crashing waves) expected what's coming next. (waves) (ominous music) (lapping waves) A collision alarm on our AIS system went off. (waves lapping) We have very large container coming directly towards us. We've just got a, uh... (lapping waves) notification on the AIS saying there's a boat. I look around, (waves lapping) I don't see any boat. I get up, whoa! There's a big boat. (rolling waves) (gentle waves) So anyway, we're trying to avoid a collision here. (unintelligible) (waves) We can see him. (waves) I don't think he can see us. (laugh) Get eyes on deck mate, we're about 800 meters. (gentle waves) Close. (clashing surf) Oh, it looks like they're coming towards us. (wind) (rolling

water) I see it. Okay. (waves rolling) (crashing waves) Motherfucker! (splashing waves) (unintelligible) (waves rolling) (laughter) (waves) Fucking hell. I was just trying not to get so... Jesus guys, it is literally coming directly for us. (ominous music) (lapping waves) (unintelligible) -Fucking hell! -Olly, go downwind! [OLIVER] A thousand kilometres from shore. (ship bell rings) There's a cargo ship heading dead on. He's getting bigger and bigger. Icy cold waters would mean we would die of hyperthermia in a few hours. There's no time to think. (ominous music) (lapping water) Can't turn left on it. Can it still turn left? (waves breaking) (unintelligible) (ocean waves) Okay, he's literally coming around. (waves rolling) Get it turned out! -Get it turned out! -Get it turned! (waves lapping hull) -Get it turned out! -What's he doing? Not to do that (unintelligible) On the

wall, on the wall! (rolling waves) -Heard? -Yeah. Get it out. (unintelligible) Call out there! Um, MSC Ella, um, you've changed course towards us. We are on the starboard side. Tell them to turn to the left. Can you turn the port side away, away from us, please? Thank you. (rolling surf) (ominous music) (ocean waves) [OLIVER] Two near disasters. (waves) Another reminder of how fine the line is between ambition and catastrophe. (blowing flag) (boat horn) There's no room for a third. (boat horn) Too much is at stake, for our families and the charities who rely on us. (ocean surf) (oars in water) (Viking music) Shift after shift, days turned into weeks, and weeks into a month. We kept each other going with laughter. (Viking music) Stories, bizarre debates that keep us awake on the oars. Ollie! (grunt)

(laughter) (laughing) 15 minutes. You lazy bastard. (laughing) (waves) (boat creaks) Oh. (whimsical music) (oars in water) (rowing) (music fades out) (shout) You call these waves big? Ha ha! (crashing waves) Come and get me! (laughter) (waves) Wooo! (boat horn) (boat horn) (cheering) So every once in a while we have to go under the bottom of the boat and clean it to get barnacles off and any seaweed and debris. And, uh... (waves lapping) who have we chosen? (lapping waves) But our least valuable assets. (waves) Barney and Ollie. One looking for sharks. (boat creaks) The other cleaning for barnacles. (splash) Ollie's in! He's in. - How cold? - It's alright. Just take a quick look down. (splashing water) (Hawaiian music) Is it clear? There we go! (splash) Oh, it's cold! It's fucking co... o... old! [OLIVER] We've been

petrified of seeing sharks. The only thing that could have been scarier is staring into the 11 kilometre abyss. Absolute emptiness. (Hawaiian music) ♪ Somewhere over the rainbow ♪ ♪ Way up high, ♪ ♪ There's a dream that you dreamed of ♪ ♪ oh it's a lullaby.♪ (lapping waves) (cheering) (laughing) (oars in calm water) (rowing) (eerie music) (rolling sea) We've got a bit of an alarming call from our weather router this morning. Um, suggesting that there's a low pressure right where the destination is in Kauai. (static)We are keeping an eye on a storm system in the East Pacific. Looks like the magnitude could be...(static) winds now at 125 miles per hour. (static) Something we should certainly have a plan for. Well, the big island is bracing for the storms arrival. The county is already urging people

to stay off the road. The original trajectory is coming from the East with directly to Kauai. We're already in between the storm and Kauai. So, it's going to hit us no matter what? No matter what, we're gonna feel the impact. It's about 100 miles to our south. (ominous music) (stormy wind) It's moving fast. (stormy winds) Basically, this could be really good. Or really bad. (crashing waves) (dramatic music) [OLIVER] Storm Calvin hits at midnight, causing chaos. We're side on to 40 foot waves (crashing waves) we can't see coming. Our rope is tangled around the rudder, We've lost all steering. We're going to capsize. I might have to get into the water, and we've got 40-foot waves and 20-knot winds. (pounding storm) (dramatic music) The rope's in the water that is, um, tied around the rudder. (stormy

waves) Big problem, we thought the rudder, rudder was going to snap off. (crashing storm) (dramatic music) We've deployed para-anchor, almost called mayday. (crashing waves) Para-anchor, definitely deployed. And we're turned to face the wind, the waves are crashing on the front of the boat, It's a lot of safer. I couldn't get out, I couldn't see what's going on. All I could hear was shouting outside, no, not able to open the door. So, I was inside the cabin, just basically being like, shit, I'm locked in here. (howling wind) Whilst we're trying not to capsize, We're also quite enjoying. (churning ocean) The madness of surfing, massive waves in the middle of the ocean. (blowing wind) (rolling waves) We haven't rowed in about 12 hours because we're going too fast. Because Storm Calvin, which is what we're in now,

is pushing us along quite nicely at about 5 knots. (churning surf) 57 miles till Hawaii. (waves churning) Can't see it yet. (rocking waves) (oars in water) (churning waves) See... uh... look! (rolling waves) (unintelligible) (rolling surf) [OLIVER] We know we're almost there, but where is land? (waves) We all thought we'd see it sooner. (waves) And night's falling, (rolling sea) it's nowhere to be seen. (unintelligible) So, like, we've got another 12 hours here. (splashing water) (steady surf) My patience is running thin. (waves on hull) (boat creaking) (waves rolling) The number of times I've heard someone say, nothing else can go wrong, we're going to be there at noon. It really actually started to get on my tits. (churning ocean) We need to be on that beach, off this boat safe, then you can say, we made it.

(water sloshing) (ocean surf) Hey, hey, land ahoy! (rolling waves) Land hoy! (seabird chirps) (seabird calling) (cheering) (happy and bright music) (waves and chirps) (rolling waves and seabird calls) We finally made it to the island of Kauai. (seabirds) There she is behind us in all her beauty. We've got just seven miles to go. Quite glad that this is coming to an end to be honest. (seabirds) But it's been fun, it's been emotional. (seabirds) (waves) And, uh... (seabirds) it's certainly a story to tell. (bright, happy music) (seabirds calling) [OLIVER] On July 20th, 2023, after 39 days in the Pacific Ocean, the most remote place on our planet, we made it. (cheering) (cheers and whistles) Having kissed goodbye to our everyday life, (cheering) to be isolated, (loud cheers) without the simplest of comforts, (cheer) or even a shower,

it became profoundly clear what is valuable to us. ♪ [SINGER] Sometimes it's hard to see, ♪ ♪ or say the words that torture me. ♪ [OLIVER] We all had our own reasons why we wanted to do this. But by now, something inside us has profoundly changed. We realised that most of what we ever wanted, we didn't need. - Daddy! Daddy! - ♪I hope that they will find you. ♪ [OLIVER] And everything we needed, we already, had. ♪ I'm sending postcards from my heart, ♪ (upbeat music) ♪ with love for a postmark. ♪ ♪ And then... ♪ ♪ You'll know that yooou ♪ ♪ make me feel like ♪ ♪ we've been caught ♪ ♪ like kids in the school-yard again. ♪ ♪ And I can't keep it to myself... ♪ ♪ can't spell it any

better ♪ ♪ L-O-V-E forever. ♪ ♪ I hope you'll knooow ♪ ♪ that I'm sending a postcard ♪ ♪ I don't care who sees what I've said. ♪ ♪ Or if the whole world knows what's in my head. ♪ ♪ Knooow... ♪ ♪ All the things I want you to ♪ ♪ knooow... ♪ ♪ All the things I want you to, ♪ ♪ knooow...♪ (electric guitar) ♪ Knooow... ♪ ♪ All the things I want you to ♪ ♪ knooow... ♪ ♪ All the things I want you to know. ♪ (music fades)