L’Eclectik : viva la vida !

Who : Maryline, Jean-Philippe, Chloé and Célia
Where : Panama, Atlantic Ocean
Bateau : Fountaine Pajot Lavezzi 40
Facebook : EclectikCharterSailing

We can’t deny that the departure had been difficult. Fraught with doubt and questions, we had to find a new way of living, change our old habits. That first, crucial journey was past Gibraltar, where the Atlantic comes to pour its foaming waters into the Mediterranean. After visiting the Canaries, it was time to cross…the Atlantic. A not inconsiderable obstacle. Not having the required experience, I decided to do the crossing without my wife or children. Instead I sailed with my brother and a sailing friend. I didn’t sleep much during the first few days, perhaps due to the stress of having all a skipper’s responsibilities on my shoulders. Or perhaps it was just down to the adrenaline coursing through my veins with the thought of taking on this mythical journey? Or even because I was trying to hit the arrival date in Guadeloupe so that I’d be able to be there for the arrival of my family. We maintained a steady 6 knots with a constant reef, and a top speed of 17 knots. It took us 22 days and 11 hours to reach the West Indies. One thing which we will remember from this trip was the two whales which paid us a visit each afternoon for five days, playing around the bows. We put a rope into the sea so that we could swim with them and give them some company. Having visited most of the West Indies, we sought shelter in Panama during the hurricane season. And the kids? They loved their new life. Chloé and Célia studied with the CNED programme from 8am until midday, from Monday to Friday. However, given the difficulties that we encountered, we decided to use a teacher during the second year, via the website “Workaway”. We’re currently in Panama, with 6800 miles on the clock. We haven’t had any major problems. At the end of our first year, the overall assessment is pretty positive and we don’t regret having taken on this lifestyle, and this wonderful journey has no doubt a few more surprises for us down the line…