This is the last update from our young couple, Sarah and Sébastien, after an extraordinary year-long voyage aboard a Sun Légende 41. They reveal their last moments spent aboard “The Love Boat”…
Final Stopover on Faial Island
“Here we are, back in Lorient, after a fabulous year-long voyage! The last stopover in the Azores was a very beautiful, very rich experience. We spent several days on Faial Island with the Breton crews that we met at the end of our trip.
“Barbecues on the quays, local wine tastings, the birthday celebration of a crewmember...each moment before our return was precious.
“We cast off from our friends, and the foghorn woke up the port! One last gin tonic at Peter’s, and we headed to Sao Jorge, where our list of "last times" grew longer: our last swim in the natural swimming pools, our last concert from the Puffins (sea birds with a very particular call), our last hydrangea-lined paths...
A return crossing accompanied by numerous sea mammals!
“On the 30th of July, ‘The Love Boat’ left Terceira Island for six days at sea, headed for the île d'Yeu. For the occasion, we invited my parents aboard. Shared by four people, the watches were very comfortable and the conditions very calm. We thought we had arrived when we reached the Azores, but sailing on to France is still quite a long way (1,300 nautical miles)!
“For the first time, lit by phosphorescent plankton, we saw dolphins passing under the boat, like comets. Whales also offered up a spectacular show! We would encounter them several times a day, and we just barely missed three or four of them! They often would turn around to follow the boat; to see this immense cetacean make a complete turnaround at 50 metres from ‘The Love Boat’ was incredible!
“We also saw a swordfish, as big as a dolphin, jumping up out of the waves. Fortunately, he didn’t bite our fishing line... What’s more, in 10 days of line fishing and 15 lure changes, we had no bites at all!
Emotional Reunions
“One year later, our arrival on the île d'Yeu is very moving. With reunions on the horizon, the voyage is coming to a close, but we return light-hearted, very happy to soon see family and friends again! Many have asked us what our favourite stopover was. We did not really have one: each had its own particular charm, always with a taste of newness and discovery!
“This article marks the end of our first great voyage: a very beautiful close to our year, where we have tasted the freedom of sailing as a couple. And we can now confirm: it is really worth it!
“One last bit of good news to close on: my parents are the happy new owners of ‘The Love Boat!’ Our Sun Légende 41 will stay in the family, much to our delight, as we have grown very attached to her after all these adventures.”
