Bert terHart, who hasn’t seen another person since January, shares his tips for self-isolating.
Since late October, a 62-year-old Canadian named Bert terHart has been sailing solo around the globe, on a mission to become the first North American to complete a nonstop circumnavigation, via the five Great Capes, without the aid of electronic navigational devices. He’s faced extreme weather, dwindling supplies and unexpected repairs that have extended his trip from six to nine months — and yet, he’s been dubbed “the safest person on the planet.
As the Gabriola Island, B.C., native’s journey — which he’s documenting on Instagram as well as on the 5 Capes blog that tracks his progress, making climate change observations along the way — approaches its seventh month, terHart also opened up about his history-making challenge, why self-isolation can be an “opportunity,” and what it’s like to be drifting along, and alone, in a sailboat while the coronavirus pandemic rages on.
“I believe it is a mistake to underestimate the contribution you can make to science in helping solve some of the greatest problems our species has ever faced. That is why on board on this voyage I have a number of experiments and observations that I’m making that will help scientists with their own endeavors.
“One of the things that I underestimated is my appetite. On other sailing adventures, my appetite has been small. But on this trip, it is huge and I’m eating just to have enough energy and fuel to continue. Between the slow times, odd weather and bigger appetite, I am going through my food supplies quicker than I had calculated. I am not a fussy eater, so I can go a long time on just oats and rice. It may come to that.
“My favorite meal is pasta with pesto, sundried tomatoes and feta. Feta lasts really well without refrigeration. I have the same block that I purchased in October last year. Everything I cook is made in a pressure cooker so I save on fuel and water. The pasta takes almost no time in a pressure cooker so I can make that meal very quickly, even when conditions are really hard.
“I would absolutely agree that social distancing and a general slow-down has been of benefit to the environment and to wildlife in general. However ... I don’t think the effect is going to be permanent. I can only hope that the obvious effects strike a chord with those people in a position to make decisions that make differences to realize that things could be dramatically better and that better does not necessarily have to take years or decades.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Meet The 30 Under 30 Scientists And Founders Revolutionizing Healthcare In Asia“Prevention is better than cure” is the mantra spurring some of this year’s 30 Under 30 Asia listees in the Healthcare & Science category to start their health-tech ventures.
Read more »
Meet Lin-Manuel Miranda's 2 Adorable Sons, Sebastian and FranciscoLin-Manuel Miranda may not show his kids' faces online, but his two sons, Sebastian and Francisco, still look adorable to us! Learn more about them here.
Read more »
Meet This Year’s Newest Billionaires: 178 Newcomers Worth $369 BillionSome of the 178 newcomers to Forbes’ newly released list of the World’s Billionaires are providing services that millions of people are relying on amidst our shelter-in-place reality ForbesBillionaires
Read more »
'Meet Me At Midnight' For A Lively Summer Romp'Meet Me at Midnight' is a bitingly hilarious enemies-to-lovers story about two teens whose families spend every summer at the lake together. Our reviewer recommends it to anyone in need of a fabulous emotional journey.
Read more »