The beginning🌊

After the announcement of my departure for the crossing of the Atlantic Ocean, I start to get organized. I need to buy a few things before embarking on an ocean crossing. I find a foul weather jacket (a large waterproof and windproof jacket specifically designed for sailing) and overalls (the same, designed for sailing). Once my purchases are complete, I return to Treillières to prepare my backpack and visit a few friends to celebrate my departure (once again). This time I will be loaded: in addition to sailing clothes, I take things to keep myself occupied on the boat. So I bring books, games, a speaker, and other things that will be useful on board. All these little things quickly increase the weight of my backpack, and I set off with about 20 kg. Taking into account the weight of the backpack and the fact that I need to be in Canet-en-Roussillon on Sunday, September 8, I decide to book Blablacar rides and trains to head south. Therefore, I leave home on Thursday, September 5, in the morning to go to Fourras to see Émilie (met in Zagreb at Chillout 🌶️). I spend the day with her and her best friend, then take a second Blablacar towards Angoulême! I spend the night at Eva’s (from Chillout 🌶️ as well), and after having lunch together on a bench at the train station, I board the train heading to the pink city! Three hours on a train just behind a group of 12-year-old football kids, I can tell you that the carriage was not quiet 🙃. Anyway, I arrive in Toulouse in the evening and join Sanson, my Couchsurfing host for two nights. Sanson is a newcomer to the Couchsurfing community, so I am his first guest! He makes me feel comfortable right away, and we get along great from the start. He has prepared a wonderful program for me: a city tour, a night out at a bar with his friends, boxing initiation… Awesome! My stay in Toulouse goes by quickly, and I take a train on Sunday morning heading to Perpignan. The train costs me… 1€! On the first Sunday of each month, several trains have seats at 1€, good to know! From the Perpignan train station, I board a bus heading to the marina of Canet-en-Roussillon! One hour on the bus and a 20-minute walk later, I arrive at the dock of our boat. There are only catamarans fresh out of the Catana factory, which manufactures Bali catamarans.

I meet Cédric, the skipper who is supposed to take the boat to Tahiti. For simplicity, we call him Moogli on board. I visit the boat, or rather, I should say the floating hotel because it’s a real villa! 6 double cabins and 2 single cabins, accommodating 14 people (crew included). Each cabin has its own bathroom with a toilet and shower, and also has air conditioning (yes, yes, air conditioning on a boat). That’s for the cabins. Now let’s move on to the salon (living room and kitchen). Huge bench seating goes with the enormous table, fully equipped kitchen with microwave, oven, double sink, dishwasher (a villa, I tell you), 2 American fridges (not the tiny ones, the large ones that make ice and provide cold water) and plenty of storage everywhere. In terms of dimensions, the boat is 54 feet (approximately 16m long), weighs about twenty tons, and is very expensive. We will be departing with 2 other catamarans, the same model, that will sail to Polynesia. They each have their own crew, and we will meet at the ports.

The crew is gradually arriving on Monday. I will be leaving with Moogli (skipper), Cédric Senior (second), Séb, Soline, Mathieu alias Mich Mich, Guillaume, and Inès, Moogli’s girlfriend. So we have 3 Cédrics (Moogli, Cédric Senior, and myself, nicknamed Cédric Junior or Tigrou). That’s it for the introductions. We take advantage of the manpower to go shopping before leaving at the local Intermarché. We spend 3 hours filling several carts with what we need: canned goods, pasta, fruits and vegetables, water, and lots of other things. The bill is high, but you need what you need at sea! We stow everything on the boat and enjoy our last evening at the quay to have drinks together! It’s the 2nd night on the boat, and tomorrow is the big departure!

Monday, September 10th, day 1:

Immediate boarding! The boat is ready to depart! We are making the final adjustments, cleaning, organizing, and then we weigh anchor! The wind will fill our sails, and, carried by the waves, we set course for Gibraltar! Our boat will even be granted an escort of some dolphins that have come to wish us a safe journey!

Saturday, September 14, Day 5:

We made a stop in Malaga, Spain, to drop off Inès, as she has to return to France for training as a sailor. This was planned in advance; she could only spend a few days with us at sea. We refuel with diesel and set off immediately toward Gibraltar, just a few hours of sailing away. Our guardian angels come to greet us at the sight of the rock of Gibraltar. A good dozen dolphins play in the waves all around the boat, jumping and dodging the hulls of the catamaran. The closer we get to Gibraltar, the more we notice the number of cargo ships. It’s simple, they are everywhere! From the largest one measuring 400 meters long to the smallest, which is about 100 meters. There are container ships, oil tankers, gas carriers, ferries, and basically everything. When we arrive in the bay, we realize all the infrastructure in place to accommodate the boats. Miles of docks are available for loading/unloading containers, oil, gas, and other goods. We spend the weekend in Gibraltar, cleaning the boat, refueling, and stocking up on food… We also take the opportunity to visit this somewhat unique territory: to access this British territory (Gibraltar belongs to Great Britain), you have to pass through a border that happens to be… an airport runway! Once on the other side of the border, we find ourselves in a town with a mix of Spanish, Moroccan, and British cultures. We can pay in pounds or euros, people speak both Spanish and English, and everything is tax-free. We go for a hike with climbers on the heights of the rock to see the view from above and also the monkeys that inhabit the rocky area (monkeys introduced to attract tourists 🙃). We also take advantage of this stop to buy some clothes with Sénior, and we leave the store 2 hours later with a bag full of costumes, oops! In the evening, like any good sailor, it’s bar time! We get to know the crew of the other catamaran over tapas and a couple of beers. We set sail again on Tuesday, September 17, in the morning, heading for the Canary Islands! The first few miles are a bit stressful because there are orcas in the strait. Orcas that have already damaged or even sunk several boats by playing with the rudders, so we stay alert. Fortunately for us, the orcas left us alone, and instead, we were visited by dolphins!

Saturday, September 21, Day 12:

The crossing to the Canary Islands went smoothly, with calm seas and little wind. We had a visit from our dolphin friends as we approached the island of Gran Canaria. The closer we got to the port, the more we could see, once again, the huge cargo ships and their loading docks. It’s still less impressive than Gibraltar, but it’s not very nice to look at. Once we arrived at the dock, we took care of some cleaning and were soon interrupted by the arrival of a new recruit: Garance. She will be joining us until Martinique if all goes well! We showed her around the boat and introduced her to the crew, then we set off to explore the surroundings of the marina. We quickly stumbled upon a birthday party at a bar and decided to join the group of forty-somethings dancing to the lively DJ’s music! We will stay in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria until Wednesday morning. We spent the day doing laundry and tidying up the boat, and Sunday passed by quickly. In the evening, we went out for karaoke with Garance and Señor and spent the night singing English, Spanish, and French songs! On Monday, it’s shopping day! We headed to the market to stock up on fruits, vegetables, bread, cheese, eggs, and meat. We spent several hours raiding the market. We need enough food for 9 people for 3 weeks, which isn’t easy! So we took 200 eggs, entire crates of tomatoes, oranges, and all kinds of vegetables. We also stopped by the bakery; we practically revamped the baker’s day! Fortunately, we didn’t have to carry our groceries back to the boat; it would have been too complicated by taxi or on foot. There’s a delivery service that brings everything directly to the boat. In the meantime, we welcomed our last crew member for the crossing: Aiden, a climbing friend of Séb. There’s a slight change of plans; we’re heading down to Cape Verde, and afterward, we’ll embark on the actual crossing.

Thursday, September 26, Day 17:

On the way to Cape Verde! We have a nice tailwind, perfect for setting sail! We see our first whale blows! By the time we pull up the fishing lines, they’ve disappeared, but it was cool to see! In the evening, we have a make-up session with a huge group of dolphins. About fifty of them come to play with the boat and do flips! We all feel a bit tired on board, so we spend quite a bit of time napping or resting.

Sunday, September 29, day 20:

Birthday party 🥳! Today is Aiden’s birthday, he turns 26! We prepared a chocolate cake with Mich, and we thought about buying candles and a plush turtle as a gift! Sunday is also pancake day, and that’s my job. It’s the weekly gathering on the boat. Arrival scheduled tomorrow in Cape Verde on the island of St Vicente!

Lundi 30 septembre, jour 21 :

Wake-up at 9 am (boat time). I peek outside and catch a glimpse of the Cape Verde islands, hidden in the fog. The day is slowly breaking, and one can only imagine the silhouette of the island through the contours of the heights of Mindelo, the main town on the island. A group of dolphins comes to greet us as we arrive in Africa, thanks to them! We reach the still-sleepy bay of Mindelo at 8 am (local time). We stay alert as there may be unmarked wrecks in the bay. We dock at the marina, helped by our friend Francesco, the skipper of the other catamaran. As soon as we arrive, it’s time to get to work! Well, not quite. We split into two groups for the cleaning of the boat: one group will handle the outside (Sénior and I) while the rest of the crew takes care of the inside. While waiting for water, we chat at the marina café with Sénior, Moogly, and Francesco. Once the cleaning is done, everyone goes about their tasks. I head out with Hampus, a Swede from Francesco’s boat, to the village with the goal of going snorkeling in the south of the island. Apparently, it’s a great spot for turtles! We find a minibus that takes us to the village of St Pedro, in the southwest of the island. In the bus, we’re packed in as tightly as possible, regardless of whether there are enough seats! The vehicle allows us to discover a part of the island, wild and devoid of vegetation, along cobbled roads. When we get off the minibus, we are approached by the locals and quickly find ourselves in a boat with two French couples. In fact, the turtle spot is the village’s business. They arrive as soon as they hear the sound of the engine, and they know well that food awaits them there. We didn’t expect this, but well, it’s the local business, not a big multinational, and since we are there, we might as well swim to see these famous turtles! A few of them come; swimming with them is magical! We can see their shells, their flippers, their heads—it’s impressive how they float in the water. After our adventure, we decide to return to the boat to rest, drained of our energy. In the evening, we gather both crews and have a big meal together, then we search for a dance bar, which we quickly find just outside the marina. The musicians are finishing their concert, but our two brave captains go to talk to them in hopes of bringing them over for an after-party on the boat (not ours, but Francesco’s. Clever captain). The two musicians agree, and before we know it, there’s a drummer, a guitarist, and 15 people on deck dancing to some great Brazilian music! We have a fantastic evening dancing and chatting all together!

Wednesday, October 2, Day 23:

Beach day! We spend the morning at the marina bar, the only place with WiFi, with Sénior, Antoine, and Raphaël (the second and his best friend who are on Francesco’s boat) downloading books for our e-readers. We chill and meet Clara, a Frenchwoman who sailed from the Canaries. She is looking for a ride to South America. We hit it off, and after chatting with Antoine, it turns out they have a free spot on board! And that’s how you hitch a boat! We head out in the afternoon with Sénior and Raph to go to the beach of Salamansa, in the north of the island. We take a taxi through the island’s desert mountains. The landscapes are breathtaking, but the scenery truly reveals itself upon our arrival at the beach. A vast beach stretching several kilometers, completely deserted, in a wild setting. We rush to swim in the strong waves that slam us to the ground. We enjoy a great time in the water, and once exhausted, we head to a creperie located by the beach, supposedly run by a Frenchwoman, Zoé (who wasn’t there during our visit). To be honest, the crepes weren’t great. Anyway, we then head towards the village looking for a bar to eat and drink something, and we quickly find ourselves with the village matriarch at a snack/bar that looks more like a home terrace. We have a wonderful time chatting in Franco-Spanish-Portuguese, not fully understanding each other, but what matters isn’t the words but the energy exchanged. The owner’s husband then brings us back to Mindelo, where we go for a little ice cream.

Thursday, October 3, Day 24:

Today is hiking day! We formed a small group with Sénior, Clara, Raph, and Antoine and decided to head to the island of St Antao, the closest one to us, for a hike. We woke up at 6 AM and then boarded the 7 AM ferry. The journey lasts an hour, and when we exit the terminal, we are faced with a crowd of taxi drivers. They are all there, in front of the doors, shouting « TAXI, TAXI. » Almost all of them speak French, which is no surprise given the number of French tourists we’ve encountered. One of the drivers managed to win the competition, and we set off in his van towards the crater, the starting point of the hike. After 40 minutes on cobbled roads, we arrive at the heights of the island and at the gates of the crater. It is stunning: all green, contrasting with the valley where we arrived. After a quick coffee and a sandwich in a wooden shack, we set off! The trail descends into the crater and then climbs up a ridge, from which we can see an entire valley. It is absolutely beautiful. The view is clear all the way to the sea; we can admire the ridges on either side of the valley and the greenery of the mountainsides. We are at about 1600m elevation, and now it’s time for the descent! On the path leading to the sea, we will see banana trees, coffee trees, and other fruit trees. It’s hot and humid after this descent, so we decide to rest in a bar run by a French expatriate. We continue our march and soon stop again for a swim in a river bordering the road. Before we can reach the sea, our taxi from this morning has found us and takes us back to the ferry. The return trip is calm; some are sleeping, while others admire the breathtaking landscape the island has to offer. We enjoy a hearty meal and then board the return ferry. We will spend the evening at the marina bar (the place where we will spend most of our time on the island) and then go dancing in the city to meet up with the other group. We end the evening under the stars on a dock at the marina.

Friday, October 4th, Day 25:

Last day on the island! So final preparations. Washing machine, filling up with diesel, safety checks for the crossing because this time we’re leaving for 2 weeks without touching land! We spend a quiet evening at the bar and, like the night before, we find ourselves at the dock for one last swim and to shave our beards! It started as a joke with Raphaël, and here we are shaving our beards, keeping only the mustache! Departure the next morning at dawn! We will remember Cape Verde for the aridity of the islands (the ones we stepped foot on), the kindness of its inhabitants, but also their great poverty.

Departure Sunday, October 6th, heading to Martinique! We’re off for 2 weeks of sailing, all being well. The weather should be nice, we’re leaving after 2 cyclones so we shouldn’t run into any problems.

I’ll be posting lots of photos in the « Gallery » tab on the blog.

Cast off the lines!!!