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Start/Finish - Victoria BC

Departure scheduled for Sunday, Oct 6th 2019. Actual Departure was on October 27, 2019. Return was on July 18th 2020

Cape Horn

Rounding the first and most famous of the 5 great capes expected sometime around the beginning of December 2019. Actual Rounding of Cape Horn was on Jan. 8, 2020

Cape Agulhas

Rounding of the second great cape expected sometime at the end of December 2019. Actual Rounding of Cape Agulhas was on Feb. 24, 2020

Cape Leeuwin

The third of the five great capes is expected to be astern sometime near the end of January 2020. Actual Rounding of Cape Leeuwin was on April 8, 2020

South East Cape

The penultimate cape should be cleared sometime around the first week of February 2020. Actual Rounding of the South East Cape was on April 20, 2020.

South Cape

The fifth and final rounding of the last of the 5 great capes is expected mid-February 2020. Actual Rounding of the South Cape was on April 28, 2020

The Completed Voyage

Bert terHart and S/V Seaburban successfully completed a solo, non-stop circumnavigation via the 5 Great Capes using only traditional navigation tools, arriving back in Victoria BC on July 18th, 2020 after spending 265 days at sea and travelling some 28,860 nautical miles.

 

The voyage was recognized as a singular achievement in single-handed sailing when Bert and Seaburban were awarded the OCC’s Barton Cup for 2020.

Seaburban

Built in 1987 at Hamilton Ontario by Hank Hinkley and a Canadian Partner, Seaburban is an OCY 45. Based on the Reliance 44 hull, she’s a go-anywhere Cruising Club of America design by Pierre Meunier that has proven herself over the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans as well as the Gulf of Alaska and Bering Sea. Sister-ships have sailed over every ocean on the globe.

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The Skipper

Soldier, citizen-scientist, serial entrepeneur and adventurer, Seaburban’s skipper is a one-man force. Not likely to take no for an answer and quick to quip, Bert is happiest aboard and abroad.

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Bert terHart
2015-51
Teacher
2014-42
Lecturer
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Adventurer

The Challenge

Simply stated, the goal is to sail non-stop, single-handed around the world via the 5 great capes using only a sextant, pen-and-paper, and log tables for navigation. Prior to 2020 only 7 people have accomplished this feat. The first is Sir Robin Knox Johnston in 1969 after completing the first Golden Globe Race. Second is Bernard Moitessiere who also competed in the 1968 Golden Globe Race. Third is Chay Blythe in 1971. Lastly, the 4 finishers of the 2018 Golden Globe Race Jean-Luc Van Den Heede, Mark Slats, Uku Randmaa, and Istvan Kopar.

Although there have been many exceptional solo-circumnavigations by North American sailors, before 2020 no North American has completed a solo-circumnavigation of this sort. I am the first.

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