From shipwreck to successful circumnavigation
Yann Quenet's book "Le Tour du Monde avec mon Baluchon" begins with a shipwreck: that of the Skrowl, the first self-built 4.30 m sailboat with which he set off from Brittany on a solo round-the-world voyage. This "failure" gave birth to the Baluchon, the new sailboat that will accompany Yann Quenet across 3 oceans. Yann Quenet explains the boat's design choices and construction, with simplicity and pedagogy, right up to her secret transfer to Lisbon, the starting point of his round-the-world voyage. From stopover to stopover, Yann Quenet then takes us on a journey that alternates between accounts of navigation and life at stopovers, passing through Guadeloupe, Panama and its difficult secret passage by road, the Marquesas Islands, Tahiti, New Caledonia, the long 77-day crossing to Reunion Island, then South Africa and another detour by the back of a pick-up truck to avoid the Cape of Good Hope, Saint Helena, Brazil, the Azores and the return to Brittany.
A skilful blend of life on land and at sea
Those looking only for the introspection of a solo sailor or a series of technical problems should move on. Le Tour du Monde avec mon Baluchon obviously includes some lovely passages on life at sea, choosing the right reading material between Les Fleurs du Mal and Le Petit Prince, and solving problems with the autopilot, but the encounters and life at the port of call are almost as important. Yann Quenet also shares a surprising transformation. A loner and introvert when he cast off, he reveals how, from stopover to stopover, the encounters of this solitary traveler and his small boat enabled him to overcome his shyness and facilitate his social relations.
A beautiful lesson in maritime life, read in a pleasant, flowing style!
Around the world with my Baluchon
- By Yann Quenet
- Editions du Cherche-Midi
- 24 x 31 cm
- 19,50 ?
