Man Crossed Atlantic Ocean With A Board And An Oar

2024 Author: Steven Freeman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 08:15

Chris Bertish accomplished an unimaginable feat by crossing the Atlantic Ocean standing on a board and propelling himself with an oar. The South African reached his goal this Thursday after spending 93 days at sea. Bertish traveled 4,500 nautical miles or about 7,500 kilometers on his journey that began on December 6, 2016.

His journey began in the port of Agadir in Morocco and ended on the Old Caribbean island. Their position was monitored via satellite throughout the trip. The adventurous traveler passed through the Canary Islands and then reached the Atlantic Ocean, setting a record for the longest distance a single person has traveled without assistance in the open sea.

Bertish is an expert in surfing with a stand up paddle, a modality in which the athlete navigates standing on a board. “The more time you can spend in the ocean, in any form or modality, the better. I am a man of the water and the ocean is my inspiration. It is where I really feel alive, comfortable, content, happy and free,”he said on his Facebook page.

The surfer had a cover on the front of the board to shelter from bad weather and a compartment to store food and water. With his journey, he managed to raise about $ 400,000 that he will donate to charities, according to his website. He hopes to create a fund to feed needy children, build five schools in South Africa, and pay for cleft lip and palate operations for children with this condition.