Good News Network: [2] On October 27, 2019, Bert terHart sailed out of Victoria, BC, Canada on his 40′ ocean faring sailboat. His goal? To circumnavigate the globe non-stop, and without the aid of any electronic navigational devices. He hopes to become the first North American to ever complete this type of journey using only a sextant, almanac, pen, paper, and logbook for navigation.
[3] Coincidentally, Bert already has become, literally, the safest person on the planet, bobbing about at sea on a voyage planned long before the COVID-19 pandemic began. [4] At the time of this writing, April 1, Bert was nearing Australia, two-thirds of the way through his journey. Many battles have been waged and won aboard the Seaburban, including violent weather, emergency repairs, extreme temperatures from roasting to freezing, and moldy food.
[5] Born on the flat prairie of southern Saskatchewan, Bert was raised as far away from any ocean as you can imagine. His Dutch ancestry, however, is rich in sailing tradition, his father, grandfather and great-grandfather were all professional sailors. Jan ter Hart trained his four children in the fine art of sailing during windy summer days on Boundary Dam Lake, a man-made reservoir near Estevan, Saskatchewan, the family’s hometown.
While at sea, he has garnered a following of over 2000+ people watching his journey, day by day, including many Canadian schoolchildren all asking, “Where is Mr. ter Hart now?”