A Wisconsin man and three friends are more than halfway through a roughly 3,100-mile rowing journey across the Pacific Ocean — no engine, no sail, no assistance.
WATCH: Wisconsin man rowing across Pacific Ocean with friends in bid for world record
Johnny Martinez, of Oconomowoc, is one of four people aboard a 25-foot boat that departed the coast of Washington on May 2. The crew, Row West Pacific, is attempting to row to Hawaii, a distance nearly 10 times the length of Lake Michigan.
The past month has not been smooth sailing.
"We were getting into some pretty big waves, upwards of like 30-knot winds," Martinez said. "You might see an occasional 20-ish maybe foot swell or wave coming towards you and crashing. Yeah, we're in the thick of it for a while there."
The crew rows in three-hour shifts, with two people on the oars and two resting at any given time.
"We go in three-hour shifts, so each of us rows 12 hours a day, so two people on the oars and then two people resting," Wilton Ngotel of Washington said.
The boat's cabin offers little comfort.
"As you can see, this is the cabin. They're very small. Not a lot of room," Washington's Greg Anderson said.
The journey has brought unexpected encounters along the way.
"We had a shark try and bite one of the oars that was dragging the water," Joshua Dukes of Hawaii said.
The crew is raising money for Ariel Recovery's work with veterans and first responders. Anderson said the trip is also meant to send a message.
"Just normal dudes living a normal life that decided to go do something crazy, and I think that's a message that's lost in our society right now," Anderson said. "We want to encourage people to go out, seek adventure, get outside, and step outside your comfort zone and go have fun with your homies."
Martinez said growing up in the Midwest did not fully prepare him for life at sea.
"It did, but not in a way of being ready for seasickness," Martinez chuckled.
The crew has now passed the halfway point of their journey and is making their way along the western trade routes toward Hawaii.
To track their row live, click here.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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