Salty Dips Episode 5: The Value of Doing Hard Things with Bert ter Hart

More people have stood on the moon than have done what Bert ter Hart achieved. Think about that for a second. Twenty-four people have travelled to the moon. Twelve have walked on its surface. When Bert did it, nine people in had completed a solo, non-stop circumnavigation of the globe's five capes using traditional navigation. Bert is one of them. Now there are 11.

He spent 265 days alone at sea. He didn’t use a GPS. He didn’t use a chart plotter.

He used a sextant, paper charts, and his own iron will.

In this episode of Salty Dips, we sit down with the man who shows exactly why hard things still matter. From the Southern Ocean to the Arctic routes of Canada, Bert’s story is a masterclass in discipline.

He is a racer in the most fundamental sense. He is racing against the elements, against time, and against the limits of the human spirit. Not to mention, the competition with the next person who might try to beat his record and the race course that is the route he has chosen.

I loved catching up with Bert, if fact, it was hard to capture everything as we launched right into some fascinating topics of conversation.

Key Navigational Marks

[00:00] Intro: Ahoy! Welcome to Salty Dips with Chris Maier. [00:00:30] The Record: Bert as the first North American to circumnavigate solo and non-stop via traditional navigation. [00:02:03] Guest Bio: Bert’s background at Royal Roads Military College and the Special Service Force. [00:03:46] Decision Making: Why Bert never plays “what if” and only plans for “when.” [00:12:52] Drills & Rituals: Maintaining familiarity through practice, from mast climbing to steering pins. [00:17:25] Fear Inoculation: Being “scared shitless but never scared witless.” [00:20:43] Resolve & Persistence: Choosing to be persistent over being good. [00:23:46] Moral Imperative: JFK’s moon speech and William Blake’s “Execution is the chariot of genius.” [00:26:34] Small Decisions: Breaking down massive tasks into the smallest hard choice. [00:31:00] The Black Box: Making safety deposits into the black box through boring routine. [00:34:30] The Next Voyage: “Sneaking” around the world in a faster boat to outrun storms. [00:37:35] Arctic Paddle: Bert’s upcoming journey from the Alberta border to the Arctic. [00:58:34] The Salty Dip: Steering backwards for 7 hours in a cockpit full of water. [01:03:07] Defining Extraordinary: How small acts of courage define a legacy. [01:04:45] The Granola Bar Story: A simple gesture with a massive impact.

Transcript (Click Here)

The Deep Dive: Traditional Navigation in a Digital World

Bert ter Hart didn’t just sail around the world. He did it the hard way.

In 2019, he set off from Victoria, B.C., on Seaburban. He became the first North American to circumnavigate the five great capes solo and non-stop using traditional means. This wasn’t a vacation. It was a 29,000-nautical-mile grind.

Every day, Bert spent hours with a sextant and sight-reduction tables. He was navigating the way Captain Cook did. There is no "undo" button when you are plotting your position by hand in the middle of a storm.

He describes it as a series of dominoes. If you get the order of your decisions wrong, the dominoes fall fast.

His discipline was shaped early at Royal Roads Military College and then sharpened further during his time as a platoon commander in the Special Service Force.

He learned early that leadership starts with yourself. You must do the hard things well, even when no one is watching. Especially when no one is watching.

That is where his “Black Box” idea comes in. You make deposits into a box of safety through maintenance, drills, routines, inspections, and all the boring checks nobody brags about at the dock. Then, when things get sporty, you make a withdrawal.

It is witty because it sounds simple. It is serious because it keeps you alive.

The Philosophy of "Doing Hard Things"

Bert believes that we have become too comfortable. We rely on technology to tell us where we are and where we are going. By stripping away the electronics, he found something deeper. He found a level of resilience that most people never tap into. But ultimately there is value in stepping into the arena and trying hard things.

Burt has also refuses to play “what if” games. He plans for the “when.” When the weather turns. When gear fails. When fatigue shows up uninvited. That mindset has two clear anchors. The first is President John F. Kennedy’s “Address at Rice University on the Nation's Space Effort” from September 12, 1962. JFK’s line about choosing to do things “not because they are easy, but because they are hard” captures the exact standard Bert lives by. 

Hard things organise effort.

They demand discipline.

They reveal character.

The second is William Blake’s line: “Execution is the chariot of genius.”

That line speaks directly to Bert’s world. For him, resilience and resolve are not just ideas.

It is preparation carried through deliberate action. It is the daily discipline of checking, plotting, reducing, correcting, and repeating. It is the physical execution of a solo circumnavigation under traditional navigation.

For Bert, traditional navigation is part of that philosophy. A sextant, paper chart, and practiced judgment leave no room for drift in the mind. 

They force presence.

They force responsibility.

"Any fool can put a sail up," he told us.

"It takes a sailor to know when to take it down."

That wisdom applies to business, to racing, and to life. It’s about knowing your limits. It’s about respect for the environment. Racing isn’t just about speed. It's about getting to the finish line too, and in the world of setting records in offshore sailing the finish line is not always guaranteed. This places the value of doing hard things well fully in the cockpit of racing. Fewer errors, fewer breakdowns, less downtime ultimately means getting to the finish line before your competitor.

The Salty Dip: The Moment of Truth

Every sailor has a moment where they realize they aren't just along for the ride.

Bert’s "Salty Dip" happened facing the Tasman Sea. He was steering backwards for seven hours in a cockpit full of water.

That is not a casual Friday.

He felt the boat beginning to "trip" on her bulwarks. She was digging in, caught in a dangerous rhythm. In that moment, Bert realized he was acting as "freight."

He was just a passenger on his own vessel.

He had to step up.

He had to take the helm and assert control.

He had to be the skipper.

It’s a powerful metaphor for how we handle challenges. Are you a passenger in your own life, or are you the one steering through the storm? But, it also betrayed a surprising conclusion that solo sailors and endurance athletes will quickly recognise.

From the Ocean to the Canoe

If a solo circumnavigation wasn't enough, Bert already has the next beast lined up. His sailing strategy is simple to say and very hard to do. He wants to “sneak around the world” in a faster, easily-driven hull and outrun storms instead of merely surviving them.

That is a different game.

It is still Bert, just with more pace.

He is also planning a forthcoming overland and paddling journey from the Alberta border to the eastern Arctic. He will follow the paths of Franklin and John Rae. Once again, he is choosing the route with the fewest shortcuts and the most lessons. This level of endurance is staggering. It reinforces the idea that there is intrisic value in the accomplishment of difficult things.

Whether he is on the Southern Ocean or on a remote northern waterway, Bert stays disciplined. He stays focused on the next mile. 

Final Thoughts

Bert ter Hart is a legend in the PNW and around the world.

His achievements remind us that resilience is something you build, not something you are born with.

You build it by doing hard things.

You build it by knowing when to take the sail down.

You can read up on Bert’s circumnavigation at Five Capes,

His trans-Canada adventure is at Kai Nani, and his broader work in adventure and AI at bertterhart.com.

Keep an eye out for his upcoming books and expeditions.

They promise to be as epic as his voyages.

The Hero's Return

I hope you'll enjoy some real photos I took from Bert's return:

Stay Salty.

Disclaimer: The safety information and advice shared in this article are for general guidance and information only. Every skipper and vessel operator is solely and ultimately responsible for the safety of their crew, boat, and decisions made on the water. All skippers must ensure they are fully informed, exercise their own judgment, and comply with all applicable laws, regulations, and race rules. Readers should do their own research and consult with qualified professionals as needed, as situations on the water can vary widely and may require different actions.