HAPPY CREW - SAILING EXPEDITIONS
BE PREPARED FOR YOUR NEXT ADVENTURE
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2026.03.22. Above picture of the boat from the rental company. Be reassured, the 2 individuals, are not in the contract, only the boat.
https://www.saint-malo-sailing.com/flotte-voiliers/sun-odyssey-439-(q)
2026-03-14 - newsSun Odyssey Manual
Save the album in your favorites and add your best pics there: Photo Album. St Malo June 2026
2026-03-13 News
Mobile phone: Check the little note on your mobile contract. Often the channel islands are not part of the European coverage
For train travel, Check with Frances. F/B/S may travel on Thursday night and enjoy the day.
Rosamund will join us on Monday in Jersey.
Friday 12: We have paid for the cleaning. But no rush to leave St Malo. We can enjoy a last drink at the port.
Liste d'équipage. As you can see from the contract they require a crew list with Address DOB and Passport number. This is contraty to GDPR. They do not need this info. To be provided before we onboard.
Please remember no hard case on board! Re - Read the full instructions below.
The commodora said she is happy to share her couch with a snoring man. Note that the central cabin will have a double bed and one bedroom will have 2 singles.
I have requested to have the boat instructions. The rental company does not communicate much. Not really friendly.
It will be an easy sail with genoat reefer and electric winches. Every 0ne needs to be fully informed of the tides and currents.
We will all meet for an evening / afternoon by the end of April. Any one is welcome to send an invitation.
Frances will check visa requirements. Our visas from last year are valid for 2 years.
You can take a sailing app subscription if you want. Some have free trials. The boat should be equipped. Please record it in the spreadsheet. Namorama
2026-03-10-. Please read the contract including the small print: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FljZiHu8mzhg-665DNdjDy8i_wxCtvvL/view?usp=sharing
The next cruise is SATURDAY JUNE 06 AM to FRIDAY JUNE 12 PM.
Please complete your role, journey etc in the file:LINK: Namorama
We will need to meet before and to study the passage. I have a navigation chart of the area, so no need to buy one.
You can either arrive on Saturday morning or Friday during the day. 04:00 pm train from St Malo is fine.
You can arrive on Friday Evening June 05 2026. in St Malo.
It will be MUCH preferable if some of us arrive on site in the afternnon.
We will leave the boat on Friday June 12 afternoon.
We can sleep at the boat on Friday June 05.
Set off Saturday am at around 10:00 am after full check up.
JOURNEY GVA to Saint Malo
Option 1 GVA- ST MALO via NANTES with EASYJET. CHEAPEST OPTION.
EASYJET: GVA.NANTES 06:20-07:45 AM . CHF 38.95 + luggage.
+ TER NANTES TO ST MALO: 09:44-13:54 CHF 40.24 CHF.
Option 2: Multiple trains during the day via Paris. check on www.trainline.fr or www.sncf.fr or www.cff.ch
To benefit from a travel discount you must have a "carte avantage" or travel with someone who has one (he/she must book all tickets at the time. For the discount to apply one must buy a return ticket. )
Week end in St Malo
Why not staying in St Malo for a couple of days? And visit Mont Saint Michel? Or Perros Guerrec (famous for its pink boulders) / Ile de Bréhat. Both as spectacular.
I am in contact with the boat owner.
INDICATIVE Cruising route: to be collectively decided.
Plan B in case of storm: ile de Bréhat / Perros Guerrec.
https://www.havenkj.com/guides-and-tips/a-cruising-guide-to-the-channel-islands/
Day 1 : St Malo - Ile Chaussey - Jersey
Day 2: Sarck.
Day 4: Sarck - Alderney. Night in Alderney (can do 2 nights there).
Day 4 Guernesey.
Day 4. Jersey
Day 5: Iles Chaussey
Day 6: on verra
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alderney_Race
There is not much to see in St Helier, Jersey . We can ask to meet 2 fellow hashers who live there. Andrew and Alison Cleeton. There is a local hash. https://crapaud.org/hareline.html. So we may be better off staying in a little port. To be decided collectively.
Guernsey: Not much neither in St Peter. Well the house of "Victor Hugo" is a must see. Again, we may settle for another port.
Sark is my favourite island. It is car free. There is only one area with buoyes, and there are only 4 of them. Other wise it is an unconfortable anchoring facing cliffs. No beaches there.
Alderney is very charming. With a few cars. A bit like the Scillies, with lot buyes in the port.
We can also stop in the "isles Chaussey" . These are only made up of a few houses.
Life jackets will be provided
Past cruises debrief.
Link to the 2024 Arzal debriefing
Link to the Brest 2025 debriefing
Training for your next cruise!
Simple tutorials: https://www.boatnews.com/
Happy Crew book - Be prepared for a sailing cruise
Key lessons learned for St Malo 2026
Briefing: COMPLETE inventory of the boat with PICTURES. This will take time. We need be MORE vigilant this time.
More communication, briefings every morning, Rosamund can you lead the briefing?
Preferably have sailing boots. It may be cold at times.
Do not overbuy food (well it made some fellow sailors happy last year). There will be plenty of local grown or fished food in the islands.
One different skipper every day, much preferably. Lets agree on this.
Respect the roles that have been given to you. To be printed on a piece of paper and made it available.
All to Fully prepare the route and understand the tides and tidal current in the area.
If you are a booze drinker do not charge the non drinkers on the Tricount
Rehearse the docking procedure with the spring bow and stern lines.
Review your sailing technical glossary, please!
Have plenty of sleep before, come relaxed.
No shouting and more listening (this is for me Yann).
Rehearse your shanties, please!!!
Cruiser's knowledge. What are you specifically good at?
SAILING CRUISE: GENERIC PREPARATION TIPS
1. Physical fitness focused on body strength, flexibility and balance. Please do at least do a few regular workouts before the cruise. Make your simple programme: planks, pushups, lunges, crunches, one leg stand. E.g. 15 minutes daily. Lot of videos on youtube. https://darebee.com/ or the classic video from Jane Fonda.
If you are overly sensitive to motion sickness, consult your GP. At least be informed of its symptoms and treatment. There is lot of rubbish information about it on line.
2. Mind preparation including relaxation, visualisation and motivation.
Various techniques possible. E.g. Individually, close your eyes and visualise various scenarios in the cruise. such as tacking, anchoring, docking. Can be done collectively.
Write your expectations from the cruise in terms of enjoyment and personal growth.
3. Sailing culture awareness
Sailing culture is not restricted to high profiles races like the Americas cup, or the Vendee Globe Challenge, or famous writers like Jacques London. Sailing culture is part of a wider maritime culture. including the life of unknown sailors, circumnavigators and people leaving by the sea.
Review your classics: literature, sailing manuals, terminology. Rehearse your favourite songs. You can do some voice and breathing exercises for singing.
Follow some circumnavigators, watch movies by the sea.
4. Social, communication and management skills.
Review the principles of "social intelligence", and "crucial conversations".
Sailing movies
Te Puna Hora Documentary in Polynesia about the strong connection to the sea. The first 15 minutes of the film are best.
I am fascinated by Polynesia, as some of you should have guessed! it is just the beauty, the history and the relationship with the sea. I discussed last week with a couple who sailed over there. To be honest, as we returned from it from a holiday trip, I felt I was actually very much attracted by all the tropical islands, including Madagascar.
I have collected a number of videos but these are more about the local culture, literature and the perception of the sea.
ohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnvQggy3Ezw: amazing fiction movie under water.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bY-DcQB6oPI Bon voyage. I already shared it on Whatsapp.
https://pecheursdumonde.org/festival/#programme My uncle is heading the festival! . Great sea documentaries selected.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIl6VGKtqQk. The bounty. A must see movie about a mutiny. You can escape the first part.
What makes it interesting is the other side of the story in the novel The Transit of Venus. https://amzn.eu/d/fIosfl9
Let me know if you know about true modern sea literature in English language. I have some in French (e.g. JMG Le Clezio) . but not found much in English.
Novel and film (I liked the novel).
Woman at sea (Le grand marin)
https://www.imdb.com/video/vi442680601/?playlistId=tt14760906&ref_=tt_ov_ov_vi
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