42-year old Chris Bertish has become the first person to cross the Atlantic on a paddleboard, spending 94 days paddling 4,500 nautical miles from Morocco to Antigua. For reference, I got winded on the walk to my car this morning and wanted to turn around and go back home, which I should have.

This was no ordinary paddleboard. Bertish, a big-wave surfer and sailing enthusiast, worked with naval architect Phil Morrison to create a custom-built 20-foot vessel with a tiny cabin and an even tinier sleeping berth. That’s where he stashed GPS equipment, a satellite weather system, radios, a satellite phone, and an autopilot system. On top of the craft they installed solar panels to keep all those gadgets charged, and Bertish also kept an emergency kit–complete with a life raft and flares–nearby just in case. He also had shark repellant handy, because, well, sharks are scary. The whole getup cost over $120,000 to build.

Okay, so it’s more of a tiny boat that he paddled than the paddleboards we’re all familiar with. Still, an impressive feat. You think anybody has crossed the Atlantic in a paddleboat yet? Because we could be the first to do that. You have to pedal though, my legs hurt.

Keep going for a couple more shots of Chris’s boat.

Source: Geekologie – First Person To Paddleboard Across The Atlantic