Scots brothers reflect on 'poor' preparation that led to record-breaking row

Three brothers from Edinburgh have reflected on their “poor” preparation that led to their record-breaking row across the Atlantic.

Ewan, Jamie, and Lachlan Maclean are currently on day 22 of their 9,000-mile row across the Pacific Ocean in an attempt to break the record for the fastest human-powered crossing.

The trio departed from Lima in Peru last month and is expected to arrive in Sydney, Australia, on August 2.

Now, viewers can get an insight into what they may be experiencing during their current adventure with a new documentary exploring their first excursion six years ago.

Ewan, Jamie, and Lachlan Maclean. We Are Story Shop

Back in 2019, the Maclean’s set out to cross the 3,000-mile Atlantic in a 28-foot boat with no rowing experience.

Their maiden voyage raised over £200,000 for charities Feedback Madagascar and Children 1st.

In the documentary, the brothers confessed to having “p*** poor” preparations before heading out on their ocean adventure.

Speaking from the middle of the Pacific, Ewan Maclean, the eldest brother, said watching the documentary was “eye-opening”.

Ewan, Jamie, Charles, and Lachlan Maclean. We Are Story Shop

“Our preparations really were piss poor. In many ways, watching it was a wake-up call. If we’re going to row an ocean three times as long as the Atlantic, we couldn’t go into it half-cocked,” the 33-year-old said.

He said that he and his brothers watched the documentary before setting off on their Pacific adventure with their family and friends.

Youngest brother, Lachlan, said it was “emotional” watching the documentary with their Mum.

“It made us really think about how our choices affect others. We’ve always been close as a family, but this brought us even closer,” the 26-year-old said.

He added: “It’s a strange feeling seeing your life played back to you. There were definitely embarrassing moments, but we couldn’t have imagined it would turn out the way it did.”

During their Atlantic crossing, the Maclean brothers broke three world records, becoming the first trio of brothers to row any ocean and the fastest and youngest trio to row the Atlantic.

With their latest adventure, the brothers are aiming to raise £1m for the Maclean Foundation, the clean water charity they conceived during long days at sea.

Middle brother, Jamie, said their first excursion “changed the direction” of their lives.

“We thought it would be a one-off adventure, but it made us re-evaluate our purpose. We realised we wanted to do something together and make a real impact,” the 31-year-old said.

“Everything we’re doing now is in service of providing clean water to communities living in poverty, especially in Madagascar, one of the countries most vulnerable to climate change.”

The brothers have received extensive training in content capture for their Pacific row which are being edited and released on YouTube as mini-documentaries while the brothers are at sea.

The debut feature film by Glasgow-based production company Lost Clock Productions shows the three brothers candidly recounting the building, including almost forgetting to pack toilet roll until minutes before pushing off for over a month at sea.

Graham Robertson, director of Lost Clock, said: “It’s rare to meet a group of guys who are so willing to jump headfirst into a crazy challenge, all while wearing their hearts on their sleeves and never taking themselves too seriously.”

He added: “This film is about much more than a row. It’s about family, perseverance, perspective – and, yes, the struggle of going to the toilet on top of a 30-foot wave.”

Richard Williams, managing director of Digital at STV, added: “The Maclean brothers are a truly inspirational group of Scots, and their story of perseverance in the face of adversity is one that I know STV Player viewers will be totally gripped by

“Giving a platform to homegrown stories like this is important to us, and every incredible twist and turn of the trio’s heroic charity row is streaming now for free.”

Out of Our Depth: Three Brothers in a Boat is streaming now on STV Player.