After a year's travel, what conclusions can you draw?
Sarah For my part, I'm happy that my couple is strong, that we're holding together, that we're enjoying it, that we're in harmony with what we're doing. I'm also happy to see that as young parents, we can manage the boat, the baby and our passion for board sports.
It's not easy to find the right balance, but we're getting there. We manage to be on the water a lot, kiting, boarding, surfing, meeting Nael's demands, and getting the boat moving. When we are in our thirties, we are ready to settle down a little bit. I spent 10 years competing in windsurfing, running from plane to plane, from one destination to another. This trip is my way of landing and it's a pretty quiet way to travel, with your house on your back.
The balance sheet is also pleasant compared to our "house". We did a lot of work on our boat before we left. For 3 years, we lived on board and we prepared her, improved her, changed the sails, rigging, equipped her, sorted out what we really needed to live on board. We welcomed Nael on board when she was discharged from the hospital at 4 days and we lived on the boat for 4 months in the middle of winter to acclimatize. Our project was well prepared, what is captivating is the hurried projects, or people don't have enough time.
How do you live financially?
Sarah: We saved money, enough to live for 2 years on a budget of 1,000 euros/month for 3. And so far we're sticking to it. We don't live like kings, we're careful, but it also allows us to rent a car to go to a sport and to have 2/3 restaurants. It's sure that it's not the same thing depending on the countries where we are and the standard of living. In Brazil for example, life is cheaper than in Martinique.
Aurélien: It must also be said that we had prepared our boat well upstream and that we didn't have to repair anything for a year. We still have some money set aside in case we run into a big problem. Maloya is a 41-foot (13m) boat, so if we had any major repairs, it would be a big expense.
Sarah: When we get to Tahiti, we'll work there. During our trip, I was hoping to be able to work as a yoga fitness teacher and I am. I invited some students to do a retreat in Brazil. There, in France, I gave a class and I plan to come back in September to give a training course. It's an additional income that is not negligible.
What's your best memory?
Aurélien: Nights spent at the helm when it's very clear, when it's almost full moon. There's the Milky Way, the clear sky, the reflections on the sea and the boat living well. It's a very nice time for sailing. The Milky Way is super lit with lots of stars and the glow reflected off the fluorescent plankton. You can see it in the bow waves and it's super beautiful!
What's your favorite stopover?
Aurélien : For someone who loves nature and board sports, Brazil. It's a real change of scenery! There's all this musical environment, with this Brazilian culture, but also these tropical forests. There are various spots and even if the water is brown, it's a lot of fun.
There is also Cape Verde, with the island of Boa Vista, always because we love board sports. The waters are beautiful, with fast and powerful waves. There are large expanses of sand, it's wild. We are off the coast of Africa, on an island and it's very pleasant.
These are ideal stopovers for those who want to do both, visit and ride.
What do you miss most at sea?
Sarah: Now, back in France, we think it's quite nice to meet the girlfriends again. To be with other people for a drink. What else I'd miss is the countryside. I love the animals, the farm, the gardens... I may miss all that, but it's only one period of my life. Maybe in Caledonia I'll have a piece of land I can farm.
Not having Nael babysat too, because at sea you have your child all the time. It's true that sometimes it would be easier, especially to make video montages of our adventures.
Nothing important enough to change our minds.
Exactly, why make these videos?
Sarah: It's a question of will, a desire to leave a trace, to show people that this life is different, that life on a boat is cool. We want to show that there are alternative ways of living, that we don't have to do anything, that there's nothing better. We want to show people that we wanted other things and that we've achieved them, and encourage them to realize this dream.
What's on the agenda for next?
Sarah: We make a short stopover in France and then we'll enter the hurricane season. It's a bit stressful and we're asking questions we've never asked ourselves before. We took some information on the spot ( NDRL: Maloya's in Martinique ) so as not to take any risks. And people prefer to take shelter in the Grenadines. So that's what we're going to do. My mother and grandmother will join us in Martinique to spend these 5 months being careful of cyclones. Then, we will go up the Caribbean islands - the ARC islands - and in a year's time we should pass Panama before reaching Tahiti.
We will stay there for 2/3 years to work before heading to New Caledonia.a
