Life On Sail

We are getting closer to Nico taking his offshore exams on 5 feb. 2025.  Which means, that after that, we need to start our sailing journey.  But so far, we don't have a boat.  We visited some today, southern France.  Some direct-to-owner contact, some through a broker.  It was a long day, visiting 4 boats.  What did we see ? We visited: - Oceanis 40CC (2000) , this one is recent but not well maintained, so this would need a month or more of refitting. And I'm not sure I am up for the task.  It only has 2 (spacious) cabins. While I'm looking for 3.  The galley feels small. But other than that (and the fact it needs a lot of polishing, all the electronics are obsolete) it is a nice boat.  A central cockpit feels safer, and gives you those spacious rooms and shower. But the set up is strange, with the kitchen in a tight corridor. It's a heavy but therefore steady boat with a shorter draft, 1m 60 or so. Can't remember exactly. Sounds short. - Ba...

It took 3 months to get our belongings from Hong Kong.  We were not in a hurry, but man, it took its time.  They moved in the only day it was cold and rainy.  My father-in-law made the unloading process faster thanks to his tractor. LOL. 6 back and forth trips and we were done unloading those 45 wet cartons.  We will leave everything for a year or more during our sailing adventures.  Hopefully we will find out during this journey where we want to live next!

Finding our Dream Vessel For those of us enchanted by the idea of owning a sailboat, the journey of finding the right one might feel like a treasure hunt. Here's a detailed guide on how to navigate the waters of sailboat acquisition, ensuring you find a vessel that matches your dreams and your practical needs. Take it with a grain of salt as it is the first time for us too! Understanding Your Sailing Dreams Before diving into the market, define what you want your sailing life to look like: - Purpose : Are you looking for a weekend cruiser, a long-distance voyager, or a boat for day sailing? Your intended use will dictate size, design, and features. For us, it's all about living aboard for as long as our budget will let us. Cruising the shoreline from wherever we buy the boat, and making at least one transatlantic sail.  So it has to be a boat above 38ft (ideally 40ft) and equipped for offshore sailing.  - Experience Level : Your sailing skills should influence your choice. A n...

We are not looking into working during our sabbatical year, but getting some "passive income" would be nice. Who wouldn't like it? Of course, we have no experience whatsoever in that matter, and all the AI help wouldn't get you free money. I figured that a side activity could entertain me as I get easily bored. But I am never bored when I do something that I like. And one of the things that can combine both is my love for 360-degree cameras. I started with it when it first launched, maybe in 2013. I can't even recall the brand; maybe I had one of the Ricoh ones. But then I immediately switched to the Insta360 ones, far superior in technology. What is a 360 Camera? 360 cameras have two lenses: a front one covering 180 degrees and a rear one covering another 180 degrees. This means that no matter what, you won't have any blind spots when you shoot a video or take a picture. What's the perk? But the best part for me is being able to easily do post-editing sho...

Everyday looks the same.  I am bored, because I am not cramming for any exams.  And I need to stay quiet, because mister is the one focusing on prepping for the offshore license... I can't wait for it to be over.  2 weeks to go.  Seems like an eternity.  But in the meantime, it gives us time to look for the boat.  Brokers are not so reactive, especially the ones abroad.  And winter time is not the period when people sell their boats, so not that many juicy offers.   

We already received our VHF license! That was ultra fast! I made 3 mistakes.  Nico made 4 mistakes out of 24 questions, not bad! 

I will not take this exam, but Nico will be preparing, on his own, without going to class, the offshore license.  Here are some tips and the costs.  What do you need for the offshore exam? For preparing and passing the offshore (hauturier) class/exam, you will need to acquire the following items: - Marine Chart SHOM 9999: This is the official exercise and exam chart provided by the French Hydrographic and Oceanographic Service (SHOM). It's essential for both practice and the exam itself. So you basically need 2. One for training, one for the exam. - Navigation Ruler (Règle Cras or Breton Ruler) : Tools used for plotting routes and bearings on the chart. You have the choice between different models, including the Cras 2000 or Brocémer. - Compass with Dry Points (Compas à pointe sèche) : For measuring distances and determining your position on the chart. - Manuals/Books: These include guides for preparation like those provided by Picksea or Vagnon. They offer structured learning...

Today is exam day.  We crammed the night before, but since this isn't a tough exam, I'm not as stressed as I was for the maritime code one.  The only challenge is that we're taking the exam in Toulouse, which is nearly a two-hour drive from our location. This meant an early start, a beautiful morning with the moon still out, and a snowy drive to Toulouse. We arrived at the ANFR 30 minutes early, greeted by the sight of heavy-duty telecom equipment.  The 10 AM session was packed, with dozens of people. We arrived just as they were leaving, all with smiles on their faces. I assume everyone passed their exam. Since we were early, I thought I might do some last-minute cramming before our session. However, unlike the maritime code exam where everything starts strictly on time, there was flexibility here. We were the only two candidates for this session, so the instructor suggested we start right away. He then demonstrated how to use the answer remote, which seemed straightforw...

Happy New Year 2025 everyone! Wishing you health, that's the most important.  If you have health, then your job for the rest of the year is to make yourself and the ones you love happy.  With happiness comes success and prosperity.  Exciting news: Exactly four weeks after passing our driving license exam, we've received our actual driving licenses today! Hooray! Our next steps VHF exam We are now in the countryside, far away from Paris.  We have to take our VHF exam in Toulouse. And we haven't prepared much for that.  I found out there was a class online through our Paris Nautique registration for the boat driving license.  But better, the ANFR provides a comprehensive booklet with all the necessary information You can download it here But once again, I haven't read that book, Nico is.  I'm learning by answering questions on the  Loisirs-Nautic.fr  online tests. This method works better for me. I screenshot the wrong answers to study from the...

December 2024 We have barely started our sailing journey. We don't have a boat yet, but we are preparing for that by taking all sailing-related classes. So our spendings are pretty low, and they're all education-related. December overview: September to December 2024 in details: December 2024 vs our overall Budget: The education related spendings are not over yet.  So stay tuned for the January report, so that we make a final overview on how much we spent on educating ourselves on boating.  

Once again, we are slowly progressing into our sabbatical. We now have our boat driving license (although we haven’t received the physical copy yet). However, we still lack our VHF permit, which is essential for navigating international waters. Unfortunately, Nico made an error while booking the exam. As a result, we won’t be taking the exam until next year in southern France (Toulouse). Any tips for the VHF permit? For those registering for the ANFR CRR permit, remember that registering and receiving a confirmation email is just the beginning. Booking the actual date and location of the exam is a separate task! After registering, make sure to follow up online or by phone to secure your exam invitation. That said, we’ve left France to spend our Christmas holidays in India, exploring Rajasthan and visiting one of the Seven Wonders of the World, the Taj Mahal. Our son joined us for this adventure! Here is the Rajasthan itinerary on Polarsteps . We rented a car and driver for this jou...

We're taking the theory exam for the boat driving license this morning. I have to admit I was feeling a bit anxious. Nico was reviewing the lessons right up until the last minute. You just need to book an exam center close to you. For this session, there were only three of us: the two of us for the boat test and one person for the road test. How does it work? There are 40 questions, and you can only make up to 5 mistakes. Unlike the road theory test, they don't inform you if there are multiple correct answers (a maximum of 2). It also lasts longer than the road exam. You sit in front of an iPad with headphones. Then you get started. You'll have about 2 questions to test the sound and the answering process. You find out if you've passed or not 40 minutes after finishing. You'll receive an email detailing the number of mistakes you made. And yes, I passed! I only made 1 mistake. I expected to make more, but I nailed it. Nico made 3 mistakes. After receiving the...

We're approaching things a bit backwards, as we took our boat driving course before even passing the theory exam! And we did this practical course the very next day after our theory class... It’s quite unconventional. The usual process is to first attend the theory class, then take and the theory exam. Once you pass, you proceed to the driving practical class. After completing and passing the driving course, the instructor automatically submits your documents to the administration to process your final boat driving license. The reason for our approach was simply that there was only one available slot at that time.  We booked last minute, so we couldn’t be picky with the dates. Since we’re on a sabbatical, timing isn’t a concern for us. So, here we are on a chilly Friday morning in December 2024, standing on the banks of the Seine River, ready to learn how to pilot a boat. Naturally, we arrived somewhat unprepared. Any tips? Bring your candidate book for the instructor to fill ...

We traveled a bit before returning to France after our bittersweet yet motivated departure from Hong Kong at the end of October 2024. Just a few days after arriving in France (I got there a bit earlier, in mid-November), we were already on our way to our boat permit class in Lagny! Which company we went with? We decided to sign up with  Paris Nautique for this adventure.  One of the advantages is that they have various classrooms throughout Paris, making it easy to find available slots for our last-minute registration.  Plus, they are among the most affordable options.  The real highlight is that you get to take your practical class on the iconic Seine River! But that’s a topic for another post. The instructor appears to be very knowledgeable and is well-regarded in the industry, having had his nautical adventures documented by the press. You receive several online resources to help you prepare before the actual class, including: Online Courses Online Tests B...

So we went touring the harbours in France in order to have a first look on the boats we liked.  We both have different views on it.  HERS I am more into comfort:      -Having an island bed      -Having 3 cabins (in the case family with kids come visit)      -Having a watermaker (I like to shower, unlike Mister)      -A relatively recent boat (2000 or newer)     -Electric toilets My favourite boats include the Bavaria 41 Exclusive, the Moody 425,  the Bavaria 390 lagoon  I'm also fine with the Beneteau Oceanis clipper 400/411 . When we toured the harbours, I didn't like the Central Cockpits, it looked claustrophobic to me.  Unfortunately for me, if you like large bedrooms, usually the Central Cockpits will offer you the best space ratio.  HIS Nico focuses on technical aspects:     - Must be equipped for offshore with GPS, Autopilot, Radar, AIS emitter/transceiver, and all sa...

Our sabbatical has officially begun! However, we can’t set sail just yet because: We still need to obtain our boat driving license. We don’t have our boat. So, for now, we’re focusing on tackling those two points. We decided to head to Aveyron, Nico's hometown, for some relaxation. While we were there, we learned to tie knots with his dad and crammed for our boat theory courses. Of course, we couldn’t resist exploring the harbors of Southern France to check out some sailboats! Here is our itinerary on Polarsteps    We visited Leucate, Gruissan, and Cap d'Agde, even taking a look at a Dufour 38 GL, though it was a bit out of our budget. On our way, we stopped by Narbonne and couldn’t miss out on trying "the best buffet in the world," the legendary Grands Buffets de Narbonne. Fun fact: this buffet features dishes prepared using recipes by the famous chef Auguste Escoffier, known as the father of modern French cuisine! You can savor a wide array of delicacies, from fresh...