South African surfer
Chris Bertish is attempting the first ever, solo, SUP Trans-Atlantic crossing. The 120 day, 4500 mile crossing will take Bertish from Morocco to the Canary Islands, across the Atlantic Ocean, towards the Caribbean island of Antigua, before ending the journey in Miami, FL. For the past five years, he has devoted every spare moment to planning every detail of this massive project.
Bertish will be undertaking this journey on a customized paddleboard. The vessel was designed for the crossing by a naval architect and took six months to build at a cost of $120,000. It is equipped with solar panels, sleeping quarters, and can even right itself if it overturns or submerges. During a storm, Bertish can take cover inside the small cabin and stabilize the vessel using anchors and drogues. Inside the small, watertight cabin, Bertish is able to sit upright and can stretch out fully to rest; all navigational and communication instruments are within arm's reach. He also has several GoPro cameras and a drone on board.
Bertish plans to paddle about 30 miles a day for more than 120 days. He will be paddling mostly at night to avoid exposure to the sun, alternating between resting and paddling every two to three hours.
You can track Chris' real-time progress and read his Captain's Log at
thesupcrossing.com/live. Currently he is off the coast of Morocco. Through this undertaking, he hopes to raise money for three charities:
- Signature of Hope Trust - Build at least five schools in some of the poorest regions of (South) Africa.
- The Lunchbox Fund - Establish an annuity that will provide a monthly dividend to feed and educate thousands of children.
- Operation Smile - Establish an annuity that will provide a monthly dividend to pay for life-changing cleft lip and palate surgeries for children born with this facial defect.
https://youtu.be/rMc5gjXkkJo