11 years sailing around the world

Photo Ben Pelosse

Kim Nunes

Friday, 28 July 2017 23:02

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Friday, 28 July 2017 23:02

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A retired couple has lived the experience of a lifetime. He recently returned to Quebec after a journey of 11 years around the world on a sailboat, during which he swam to the middle of the ocean with dolphins and bypassed the waves of ten meters.

Yvon Legault, 73 years of age, and Carmelle Rousselle, 63 years old, live on a single pension that can make us dream. The former economist and his wife, who comes from the middle of the theatre, left the port of Montreal in September 2006, aboard their sailboat, and they are not revenues in the last month. All in all, they have sailed more than 68 000 km on the ocean and have moored in thirty countries.

“It seems that one has dreamed, that everything what has been experienced is not real,” says the couple, eyes still filled with sparks.

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The sailboat is a Murry 33. The captain of the boat is essential in spite of all the tools help to navigation, because it is he who ensures, with the help of nautical charts and GPS, that the itinerary is respected.

In the course of their voyage around the globe, they have seen the most beautiful scenery, met amazing people and discovered remote places like Suwarrow, an island almost uninhabited island located in the Pacific ocean.

In Thailand, while they were living in a small village, they made a funny dating. “Coming out of the apartment where we lived, we passed a man walking his elephant. It was quite surprising, ” recalls Ms. Rousselle.

Then, in Indonesia, they discovered the Komodo dragon, a huge lizard. In Singapore, they have tasted a durian. “The fruit stinks so much that it is forbidden to bring in certain public places, including the metro. We had to wear gloves to avoid to keep the smell on our fingers, ” laughs the couple.

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In Indonesia, on the island of Komodo, Yvon Legault and Carmelle Rousselle have discovered the Komodo dragon : a very large lizard that can weigh up to 150 kg.

Human experience

Despite the beauty of each of their discoveries, especially the human encounters in the various countries they visited, which were marked.

The couple has forged great friendships with people met by chance. In the Maldives, after having asked a man the way to get to a restaurant, it has rather led him home, where he cooked up a feast.

Everywhere, they were welcomed like kings.

For example, in 2013, in Singapore, they met Esther in the metro. While retirees were asking her information, Esther invited them to spend Christmas in his family. Since then, they remain in contact. “We remained very close. It is also planning to come visit me soon “, tells the story of the woman of 63 years old.

Mr. Legault and Ms. Rousselle also correspond with Paul, met in Madagascar. They became friends with him and his family after taking part in the walks that he hosted on a canoe. “It has become a good chum,” said Mr. Legault.

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Yvon Legault (left) is in the company of Paul, a friend met in Madagascar, his mother and his sister. Since then, the Quebec and his wife exchange e-mails with Paul.

Beyond the language

Before meeting the couple, Paul had never used a computer, because where he lives, there is no electricity. So, are Quebecers who showed him how to send emails from an internet café in another village than hers.

By the time, the language has been a barrier for the couple, especially in Thailand where the alphabet is expressed in the intonation of the voice. Despite this, the travellers have managed to make themselves understood to the local people by means of signs and objects.

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During their journey, they met several people. They have had to learn to communicate in different ways, often with gestures.

In Indonesia, children were eager to climb into a canoe to join them at the wide. Using gestures, they have asked for books in English. When the couple has made, the young are quickly returned on the land to read.

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In the Solomon islands, the yacht of Mr. Legault and Ms. Rousselle has aroused the curiosity of the children who cross few visitors.

In small isolated islands, they have also received requests for toothbrushes, yarn and needles, hard to find items in certain corners of the country.

Before leaving for the great adventure, the couple had been sailing for several years already. Mr. Legault had also received training in navigation, including courses in connection with the electricity, the weather, the mechanics, etc, in Spite of this, the eleven years spent on the water have provided many challenges.

Pirates

In particular, they were worried when they were followed up by a fishing boat while they were in the south of Sri Lanka. It could be pirates.

The boat, much larger than their own, approaching dangerously close to their boat of 33 feet. The twenty men on board their was sign of slowing down, the couple has refused to do so, not knowing the intentions of the fishermen. Fortunately, the waves and the wind allowed them to sow. “It was quite uncomfortable as the situation,” remembers Carmelle Rousselle.

Against winds and tides

The Longueuillois have also seen ships of war go to the Red sea while they voguaient on the Indian ocean. As they hesitated between to borrow the Red sea or walk along the South Africa, they have opted for the second option, especially as the political situation in Yemen worsens.

This choice has caused a great difficulty for the couple as along the coasts of South Africa, they have had to make many stops in order to avoid facing up to waves of 8 to 10 metres high. “It has been the most stressful period of our 11 years of navigation “, said Ms. Rousselle.

The bad weather has more than once changed the plans of the travellers. This was the case when they put the cap to the Seychelles. Their travel by sea took them 22 days, while they had provisions for 10 days.

“We caught a single fish during the 22 days, and we nearly run out of water “, do they remember. This time, their troubleshooting engine that runs on diesel fuel was also almost in sec. It was, therefore, preferable that they don’t use it.

Two cats on board

The duo remained very united, and very rarely quarreled during the voyage, even if their boat was only 33 feet long. “There is always something to do on a boat, so we had not the time to start a fight “, laughs the childless couple who had already had 18 years of life together before their departure.

At the time of leaving the port of Montreal, in 2006, Mr. Legault and Ms. Rousselle did not have a specific plan. They were planning to leave for three years, but not closing any doors as to the possible duration of their great adventure. “We left without a project fixed. We wanted to live something else. Discover new places and new cultures, ” said the former economist.

Although they sold their condo, their cars and their furniture to fund their expedition, they have not been able to get rid of their cats, Snoro and Noirot, that they have brought with them. These last have participated in the first eight years of the journey with their masters. Then, it was considered wiser to allow them to regain a more stable environment in Montreal, relatives.

Budget

Throughout their journey, the couple lived on a sailboat and steel purchased at a cost of $40,000.

Renovations in excess of $ 70,000 had to be made before departure to complete the project. But once in the sea, they have managed to be content with little.

For all of their expenses, including repairs on the boat, they had expected $ 30,000 per year. This budget has been met, and the lovebirds have never been deprived of anything during their trip.

They threw the anchor on the paradisiacal destinations, but inexpensive.

The boat is currently for sale in Granada, from where they returned to Montreal in June. It is registered in the name of ” Taima “, which would have several meanings, including ” It is enough, we move on to something else.” This is what Carmelle Rousselle and Yvon Legault wish to do so now.

However, they are not closed to the idea of traveling again in the near future. Ms. Rousselle would like to teach English in China, as. as so well expressed by his spouse, ” there are still a lot of things to see “.

The daily on the boat

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On a sailboat, preparations are essential and there is not a lot of free time.

Each day, Yvon Legault and Carmelle Rousselle should ensure you provide their food. For long trips, they could preserve fruits and vegetables between 7 and 10 days.

When their stock was exhausted, they fed mostly on tinned foods, nuts and grains. The caught fish was eaten raw, cooked in a presto or deposited in the Mason jars so you don’t waste anything.

The navigation maps also had to be prepared by the captain of the boat, Mr. Legault. His task was, therefore, before each departure, check the weather and to detail the routes that can be navigated to borrow. Subsequently, he had to record all the details on the GPS and then put the cap on their destination.

During travel at night, the couple slept in alternation so that there is always a person who stands guard and ensures that the boat does not veer from the path. As to the days on the water, they were well occupied with the preparation of meals and the daily maintenance of the yacht. Otherwise, reading, card games, crossword puzzles, and Scrabble were among the passengers.

The hard part, it’s the return

After having been lulled by the sea during the last 11 years, the couple returned to Montreal a month ago. The return to normal life is more difficult than he had imagined.

After having had the vastness of the ocean as a landscape for 11 years, it is in a small apartment in Longueuil that The Journal has met with the travellers.

This place has been loaned by a member of their family by the time they recreate a nest for them out. They have also borrowed a car to their friends, since 11 years ago, Yvon Legault and Carmelle Rousselle have sold everything to live out their project. Now, they must rebuild a life.

Since their return, they must acclimate to a slower pace of life than the one they have known in the past years on the boat, so that he was constantly in motion and looking for something new.

In order to take care, Ms. Rousselle doesn’t exclude a return on the labour market. “We must find ways to pass the time “, she says.

An unforgettable adventure and impressive

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In the Solomon islands.

Snoro and Noirot prohibited

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Carmelle Rousselle prepares the meals under the gaze of his fellow travelers : Snoro and Noirot. In some places in the world, it has been difficult for Ms. Rousselle and her husband to find the cat food, especially in the Fiji islands.

The cats Yvon Legault and Carmelle Rousselle, Snoro and Noirot, have lived for eight years aboard the boat. If they have seen much of the country, they have also prevented their masters to visit some, including New Zealand, Australia, and New Caledonia, where it is difficult to clear customs with cats.

In New Caledonia, it was required that the small cats receive a specific vaccine before entering the country.

In Australia and New Zealand, in addition to the costs related to the presence of their cats, the couple had to be put in quarantine for several days, which he refused.

Water

Unlike their masters who have never fallen in the water during their journey, Snoro and Noirot took good showers during the trip, especially when you throw in the anchor, then they were more daring. In order to help their animals to be back on the boat, the couple has hung a towel permanently to the back of the boat to enable them to cling to and climb back aboard.

1800 $ for a visa

Yvon Legault and Carmelle Rousselle had to learn for each of the destinations on the procedures to follow to obtain a visa. In Malaysia, for example, a three month visa was granted free of charge, so that in the Maldives the couple had to pay 1800 $ to get it.

In Brazil, the procedure has become disillusioned by the couple since the visa had to be requested prior to arriving on site and was valid for a week. Thus, they have not laid foot on this South American country. In Indonesia and Thailand, the visas had to be obtained in advance, but their duration was longer.

As to the currency which differs from one country to another, the couple, each time, used his atm card to withdraw cash from the atms found at the various places visited.

The journey of Yvon Legault and Carmelle Rousselle

“Nosy Be [Madagascar], we have crossed over into Mozambique, then up to Richards Bay, South Africa, the first port of entry. “(October 2016 to December 2016)

“In march of 2017, we left Cape Town [South Africa] for a passage of 18 days at sea, arriving to Sainte-Hélène island [South Atlantic ocean]. “

“After the island of St. Helena, we made a crossing of 36 days to arrive in Granada, which was a complete turn around since we left Grenada in 2009. “

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Suvarov is an uninhabited island that is part of the Cook islands. Its land area less than one square kilometer, makes this destination a place little known, that deserves to be discovered.

Beatings of the heart

• The San Blas islands of Panama, also known as Kuna Yala
• Island of Suwarrow in the Cook islands
• The Galapagos islands
• The Marquesas islands of French Polynesia
• Vanuatu
• Madagascar

What has marked them

• They swam with dolphins and manta rays in the ocean.

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Away from the tourists, Suwarrow, Yvon Legault and Carmelle Rousselle were able to swim with manta rays.

• Rays and a sperm whale have offered a show by jumping around their boat.
• In the night sky, they noticed two times that of the planet Mercury.
• They observed simultaneously a sunrise in the east and the moon setting in the west.
• They came face to face with an elephant coming out of their apartment.
• They encountered warships in the Indian ocean.