Expedition 1
United World Challenge partnered with United World College of the USA to provide full scholarships for 3 BIPOC students to attend UWC-USA.
Learn moreExpedition 2
United World Challenge partnered with Sungai Watch to stop plastic from reaching the ocean through river barriers and community cleanups in Indonesia.
Learn moreThe Impact
A Glimpse Into 197 Days ALONE At Sea
And the mission of the two expeditions
ROW 1
First person in history to row from California to Hawaii, alone, with no prior rowing experience.
2,696 miles | 71 days
Day 1
I row out of Monterey, CA under a cloudy midnight sky on July 3, 2020. Terrified. It would be my first time at sea.
Day 3 to 7
30 knot winds and 12 foot waves pummel the boat. I begin drifting on para anchor until I regain control 5 days later. Time slows to a crawl as I’m stuck inside the cabin, asking myself what made me think I could do this.
Day 15
I’m adrift once more when a steel bolt holding a wheel on my rowing seat snaps in half. Spend the day attempting desperate repairs. That night, I enter a massive oceanic river called the Cali Current.
Day 21
I break free of the Cali Current after a grueling week of rowing for 3 hours, resting for 2. I begin experimenting with permanent fixes to the rowing seat.
Day 45
I devise a wild idea to fix the broken seat using my camp stove and scrap plastic. Somehow, it works.
Day 58
I record a rap verse for my social media followers. I feel exhausted from 2 months of rowing, but I don’t want the journey to end.
Day 71
I arrive in Kaneohe, HI at sunset on September 11, 2020 — the first person ever to row from California to Hawaii as their first ocean row.
Impact
Funds raised through Expedition 1 provided full scholarships for 3 students to attend United World College of the USA.
ROW 2
The only person in history to row from Hawaii to Australia solo and nonstop.
5,984 miles | 126 days
Day 1
I row out of Waikiki Yacht Club during a break in the rain on December 19, 2023. The boat’s packed with 800,000 calories and over a dozen cameras.
Day 23
The boat suffers severe power issues. I turn off all electronic systems to ration batteries and deploy extra solar panel to try to generate fresh power. I begin navigating by dead reckoning.
Day 24
The ocean builds into a rage. Massive waves slam onto the boat and snap my tiller arm in half. I lose control of my rudder. I’m forced to improvise my steering.
Day 36
I wake at 4 AM and discover I’m on a collision course with an incoming tanker. We avoid each others’ course at the last moment and pass within 500 feet.
Day 50
I cross the equator and celebrate entering the southern hemisphere. I hope the hardest of days of the expedition are behind me.
Day 52
Clouds blanket the sky. Thunder rumbles day and night. There’s so much static in air that my boat’s antennas crackle and pop. It rains nonstop. I crave a safe refuge, but I need to stay on deck and row.
Day 60
I spend 2 days on para-anchor to slow my drift as a cyclone pushes me north, away from Australia. I mentally recommit to reaching Australia.
Day 62
For the first time in 10 days, I get a break from thunder and lightning. My nervous system begins to relax.
Day 68
Seas flatten. Winds die. Heat soars. The ocean reaches 93 degrees F. The heat is so intense, it feels physically threatening. I want to rest, but I need to row myself to safety. The flat seas also make the ocean plastic, which covers the ocean, more obvious.
Day 79
I suddenly notice I can see and hear the breaking waves of a nearby reef. I row as hard as I can to escape with my life and the boat intact.
Day 85
I enter the Coral Sea. I had hoped and been told that the Coral Sea could be a simple, two-week final stretch to Australia. But conditions deteriorate. I face rogue waves and headwinds. Progress slows to a crawl.
Day 100
I put sunblock in my beard and hair and pretend that I’ve become an old man. I record a playful video for social media followers, which raises my mood. In the afternoon, I swim with a marlin as I clean the boat’s hull.
Day 120
Wind has built up and is blowing due north. I row as hard as I can to try to reach Cairns. When it becomes clear I won’t make Cairns, my team advises me to aim for Port Douglas.
Day 126
On April 23, 2024, I touch land in Port Douglas after getting a tow across the Great Barrier Reef. I become the first person ever to row from Hawaii to Australia solo and nonstop.
Impact
Soon after Expedition 2, I helped install the river barriers that Expedition 2 sponsored with Sungai Watch. As of July 2026, the barriers have stopped over 125,000 pounds of plastic, all of which is recycled instead of polluting the ocean.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many days was Tez alone at sea?
Tez spent 197 days alone at sea: 71 days from California to Hawaii and 126 days from Hawaii to Australia.
What were the routes?
Expedition 1: Monterey, California to Kaneohe, Hawaii (July 3 to September 11, 2020)
Expedition 2: Waikiki, Hawaii to Port Douglas, Australia (December 19, 2023 to April 23, 2024)
Were the expeditions followed by a chase boat? Did Tez stop for a resupply?
No chase boats or support boats followed Tez. He was completely alone for each expedition and did not stop anywhere for supplies.
How did Tez communicate with the film team while alone at sea?
Tez used a variety of satellite phones. Iridium GO for daily text messages and BGAN or Thales VesseLink satellite terminals for higher fidelity calls and the media campaign.
What were the biggest challenges during the expedition?
Expedition 1 presented a steep learning curve. Having never been to sea before, Tez departed California with only three days of rowing experience after pandemic restrictions prevented additional training. Just 15 days into the journey, his rowing seat broke. After weeks of improvised repairs, he devised an Apollo 13-style solution that lasted the rest of the crossing.
Expedition 2 was significantly more demanding. Persistent electrical failures left the boat with very limited battery power for much of the voyage, forcing Tez to ration nearly every electrical system, including navigation, communications, fresh water production, and even some safety equipment. Combined with repeated storms, including twelve consecutive days of thunder and lightning, the expedition became a constant exercise in problem-solving and resource management.
How did Tez navigate across the Pacific Ocean?
For Expedition 1, Tez navigated using GPS and electronic chartplotters. During Expedition 2, however, ongoing electrical problems forced him to conserve every possible watt of battery power. He kept the chartplotter turned off and instead navigated primarily by dead reckoning, estimating his position based on his previous location, compass heading, rowing speed, ocean currents, and time. He would periodically power on his GPS to confirm his latitude and longitude before shutting it off again to preserve battery life.
What happened after the documentary story ended?
Since completing the expeditions, Tez has continued pursuing challenges that foster growth and purpose. He became a certified AIDA 4 freediver, worked with Sungai Watch to help fund and renew river barriers that stop plastic before it reaches the ocean, and shifted his focus toward helping others navigate ambitious journeys of their own.
What is United World Challenge?
United World Challenge is the nonprofit campaign Tez founded to turn his expeditions into positive social change. United World Challenge partnered with brands like GoPro, Oura, Solgaard, SunPower and others who supported the expeditions with sponsored gear and financial support to defray the expedition costs. United World Challenge ran public crowdfunds during the expeditions to raise funds for education access and ocean plastic solutions.
Did the expedition support a larger mission?
Yes, both expeditions were focused on positive impact. Donations raised during Expedition 1 sponsored 3 students to attend the United World College of the USA with full scholarships. Donations raised during Expedition 2 were deployed in partnership with Sungai Watch to build 15 floating river barriers in Bali, Indonesia. These barriers have stopped over 115,000 pounds of ocean plastic.
How did the expedition help fund scholarships?
Tez shared Expedition 1 live on social media and asked followers to support the scholarship campaign. In total almost $77,000 was donated which was given 100% to United World College of the USA. Tez chose this campaign because attending the United World College was a life-changing experience when he was 17, and he wanted other young students to have the same opportunity he did.
How did the expedition help address ocean plastic pollution?
During Expedition 2, Tez shared the story live on social media and asked followers to support the crowdfund for ocean plastic solutions. $72,000 was raised during the expedition and another $9,000 after. These funds were invested in river barriers built and managed by our partners Sungai Watch, who take the captured waste and recycle it. 3 of the best performing barriers are still in operation today. In total we’ve stopped over 125,000 pounds of plastic — all of which would have become ocean plastic, if not for the United World Challenge.
What happened to the rowboat after the expedition?
The rowboat continues to be used for expeditions. In early 2026 under Tez Steinberg’s coaching, Chris Barbin rowed Moderation from Monterey, California to Punta Mita, Mexico. Chris became the first person ever to row from California to mainland Mexico, a 38-day and 1750-mile expedition that raised over $550,000 for mental health and addiction recovery.
Is the rowboat available?
Moderation is available for her next mission. Contact Tez to learn more.
What expeditions has Tez completed since The Row?
Since the story in The Row ended in late 2024, Tez has participated in a few new expeditions. He became very interested in freediving and earned his AIDA Level 4 Freediving certificate in Roatan, Honduras and is preparing for intensive freediving expeditions in the future. He has also completed some overland expeditions in his customized truck, which he’s driven from Baja to Alaska.
Tez also supported Chris Barbin’s Rolling Sabbatical expedition as the project GM and Chris’ personal coach.
How can I support the mission behind Tez’s expedition?
The best way to support the mission is to become part of it.
Every keynote, coaching engagement, and Rolling Sabbatical helps extend the ideas behind the expedition by encouraging people to pursue ambitious goals, build resilience, and live with greater intention.
If you’re interested in bringing these ideas to your organization, planning your own expedition, or working with Tez one-on-one, explore the speaking, Internal Navigation coaching, and Rolling Sabbaticals pages to learn more.
From time to time, Tez also partners with environmental and educational organizations whose work aligns with the values behind the expeditions. Those opportunities are shared when available.
The Row
Documentary Film - Coming Soon!
The Row is a feature length doc film directed by Bryan Fogel about Tez Steinberg's 197 days alone at sea.
Learn more