Late last month, a resident from Nebraska by the name of Duane Hansen celebrated his 60th birthday and set sail in an 846-pound pumpkin made into a boat. He traveled 38 miles down the Missouri River for some 12 hours. The trip happened on August 27 and its purpose was to earn the Guinness World Records title for the longest pumpkin boat journey by pumpkin boat. Before Hansen, Rick Swenson was the record holder who sailed the Red River by pumpkin boat in 2016.
Hansen Ended His Pumpkin Boat Journey at the Riverview Marina
The Bellevue Marina was where the record-setting pumpkin boat journey started and it culminated in Nebraska City at the Riverview Marina 12 hours later. Hansen spent years on the project and named his prize pumpkin Berta. He got inspired to break the record after going to a pumpkin-growing seminar five years ago. There, he met a woman who held the record he sought and after asking her some questions, he decided he wanted to do it.
Hansen Called the Pumpkin He Used for His Journey the S.S. Berta
Hansen’s pumpkin has a circumference of around 146 inches and he decided that the pumpkin was large enough for him to fit in and go sailing. He dubbed the pumpkin the S.S. Berta and transported it to the launching point atop a trailer. Hansen hopped inside his pumpkin and took off for his day-long journey. His family and friends were cheering him from along the banks as he fought to stay afloat and fought off an array of obstacles like rocks, sand bars, and waves.
Hansen asked non-family members to witness his journey in order to comply with the Guinness World Records’ rules. Still, Hansen’s record is not yet official. According to Kylie Galloway, who is a spokesperson for Guinness World Records, the organization has received the application for the record but is currently in the process of reviewing it. Despite that, people who know Hansen or witnessed his journey believe the record is in the bag.