At the beginning, Jean-François was not looking to buy a Muscadet. The sailboat he wanted was an Ecume de mer. However, considering his budget, he fell back on the first one, smaller, less expensive, which was negotiated at the time between 20 and 25,000 francs. He obtained his at 30,000 francs, a sum, but in almost new condition. Faithful to his original idea, he opened an account to save the price of the future, larger boat that he would buy when he retired.
A perfect sailboat for coastal cruising
His Muscadet, named Gilboy, bears the number 568. She was among the last to leave the Aubin shipyards, near Nantes, in 1978. Its excellent condition does not require any work. To start with, Jean-François simply added a depth sounder, for a sailing program that is more about cruising than about racing.
At first, it was with friends that he sailed along the French coast, from Granville to Arcachon. Then, he shared his passion for sailing with his wife aboard the Muscadet and soon with their two sons. That's a lot of people on a 6.40m sailing boat!
A very well designed living space
However, the boat is perfectly fitted out to optimize all the spaces. In the forepeak, a large double berth with storage on the sides, and a small library at the bottom. In the center of the boat, a galley on the port side and a large chart table on the starboard side. Then, two coffin bunks at the back.
Jean-François gradually added some equipment and nets for storage, a small solar panel on the rear trunk, and even a whole set of offshore equipment with beacon, VHF, life line and survival gear. We'll never know if the sailing will take them far away, isn't the Muscadet made for transatlantic sailing?
Spartan comfort for simple sailing
Of course, by today's standards of comfort, Muscadet is relatively spartan. It has no toilet or shower, adults certainly can't stand upright inside and there is no heating. But for summer navigations, it is not very serious. We manage with a solar shower or a sprayer, a bucket and the French coasts for gardens and playground.
A very safe marine behaviour
For Jean-François, the essential strengths of Muscadet are its undeniable marine qualities. He has never felt in danger on his sailboat, even in the worst gales. Muscadet shakes, vibrates, but resists to everything.
Even when he lost his rudder off Yeu Island because of a loose part, he felt confident to sail back to Les Sables d'Olonne with the help of his oar. The same thing happened when a piece of the gooseneck broke off off Saint-Malo, while he was reefing at force 7.
Worse still, when he broke his foot by banging on the mainsheet in the cockpit, he managed to take his boat to Vannes before ending up in hospital. He came out with a plaster cast and got back on his boat to take it back to Royan...
Reasonable maintenance costs
Moreover, on a boat of this size, maintenance, fittings, berths and all the handling are not too expensive. However, for a good conservation and to avoid having to repaint too often, it is preferable, he says, to shelter the sailboat during the winter under a shed or, failing that, to cover it with a full tarpaulin.
Owning a Muscadet is also being part of a big family. The Muscadet Owners' Association, or APM, runs the network with a master's hand, offering meetings, events, mutual aid and advice.
A boat for a lifetime
Finally, the time of retirement has come for Jean-François. So what about his faithful Muscadet? The money saved for the bigger boat was actually spent on the children's education and that's just as well. Jean-François does not need a bigger boat.
He knows this one inside out. It represents a sum of memories, a whole life. And it still has a long way to go. Jean-François is already planning to bring all the controls back to the cockpit to simplify maneuvers, in anticipation of future sailing.
