“It's a beautiful, long swell, really, really pleasant. Coming directly from behind, perfectly positioned, allowing me to sail along comfortably under spinnaker.” But today, Éric particularly wants to introduce us to his most faithful crewmate. Not a flesh-and-blood companion, since he's making this crossing solo, but an essential piece of equipment: the autopilot.
Camera in hand, the skipper heads down into the depths of his catamaran to show us the autopilot, its actuator and its linkages. It's an inspection he carries out regularly, even when everything seems to be working normally.
“I know it's not exactly the most glamorous footage, but I regularly go down to check on it, to make sure everything is fine and there are no signs of weakness.” And for good reason: aboard Skiboo 2, the autopilot does most of the steering. “Without it, this adventure wouldn't be the same. I'd have to steer all the time! It handles the steering 90 to 98% of the time. It's really only during maneuvers that I take the helm.”
The autopilot allows Éric to rest, prepare his meals and take care of the many essential tasks involved in life on board. However, the skipper regularly takes the helm in light winds, when he needs to make the most of every puff of breeze and fine-tune his course. Because Éric has set himself one rule: to cross the Atlantic without ever using his engines to propel the catamaran. “On a bluewater cruise, when the wind drops, most people usually start their engines. I don't use mine for propulsion. I occasionally use them as an energy source when needed, but since departure, it's been zero engine propulsion!”
This self-imposed restriction makes the autopilot all the more valuable. Éric also emphasizes the importance of maintaining it properly. His was serviced just before departure, after a weakness was detected during an intensive training session. “One piece of advice for anyone planning a bluewater voyage: have your autopilot serviced before you leave. It makes life a whole lot easier!”
And once at sea, it's better to inspect the installation regularly rather than wait for the first signs of failure.
For now, everything is going well aboard Skiboo 2. At position 30°10.13' N / 017°46.54' W, the catamaran is sailing at 7.3 knots in 10.2 knots of true wind, with a course over ground of 218°.
The long Atlantic swell has finally arrived, the orange spinnaker is flying, and the autopilot continues to hold its course. Heading for the trade winds, with a crewmate who never sleeps!
