Adventure: Sailing around the world on four metres: Yann Quenet has reached his destination!

Wherever Yann Quenet drops anchor or hands over the lines, he is met with a mixture of amazement, fascination, admiration and shaking heads. No wonder, given his boat and the journey he has undertaken with it. Around the world - with it? The 53-year-old Frenchman from Saint-Brieuc in Brittany has sailed around the world in a nutshell that is shorter than a 420 dinghy - exactly four metres long.

Quenet built his "Baluchon" himself in his shipyard for micro-boats at home in France to fulfil his dream of travelling around the world. He set sail in 2019, always heading west.

Yesterday he made it and reached the harbour of Trébeurden in his Breton homeland. YACHT spoke to the likeable exceptional sailor before his last leg about the approaching end of his incredible adventure.

YACHT: Your trip is attracting a lot of interest on social media. You have almost 5,000 followers on Facebook, and almost every sailor in France now knows you. Does that surprise you?

Yann Quenet: Yes, I am overwhelmed! I actually set off on my own and didn't think that anyone would be interested in what I was doing. People tend to want bigger and bigger boats. But no, it obviously raises questions in people's minds when a guy like me is out there with such a small boat.

Do you like this attention?

Yes, that's nice. For me, it's mainly an opportunity to get to know people I would never have met otherwise. I really like that. There's also no one who seems stupid or criticises my trip, but I always get a very warm welcome. The great surprise of this trip has been making so many new friends. Originally, I just wanted to do it for fun because I felt like it. But my boat has long since become the ticket to meeting and getting to know people.

They usually cover a long distance and then stay in one place for a long time. Was that the plan?

Well, that always depends on the right season for sailing on to the next harbour. If I stay longer in one place, there are also better opportunities to work and top up my travel funds a little. On Réunion, for example, I was able to work in a sailmaker's shop. But I didn't always just sail from A to B either.

What do you mean?

In South Africa, I put my boat on a trailer and used it to cross the country from the Indian Ocean coast to the Atlantic coast. This allowed me to see some of the interior of the country - just as I had planned to do in Australia.

Did you also do this to avoid the challenging and dangerous passage around the Cape of Good Hope?

Exactly! But I also have a great desire to explore countries. The small boat on the trailer does that quite well. I took it out of the water in Richards Bay. Then I drove it all the way to Cape Town. That's about 1,800 kilometres. You can also sail it, but you don't necessarily have to. The road option was safer and better for "Baluchon" and me.

Do you also live on the boat when you are on land, or do you sometimes take a room or flat?

No, I don't have any money for that. I've been living on "Baluchon" day and night for the last three years. I haven't been back to France to visit home since I left.

How did you fare at sea? Were there any serious incidents?

I had an incredible amount of wind and big waves on the Indian Ocean. One that wasn't coming from the same direction as all the others knocked me over shortly after setting off for South Africa. I didn't capsize, but the mast hit the water several times. Fortunately, nothing happened, but it was quite impressive. It was like a brutal shock, everything was flying around in the boat and I was hanging under the ceiling for a moment.

How did you react when that happened?

My basic rule is that I don't leave the inside of the boat at sea. So I was safely inside the boat. It then righted itself again. I can operate the only sail by sticking my head out of the hatch. Then I pull a line - that's it. It's really easy.

What do you do if you get caught in a strong wind or storm - do you take the sail away completely, or do you leave something standing?

A very small piece remains, about the size of a T-shirt, so that you can still manoeuvre.

And how do you steer? Many long-distance sailors sooner or later have problems with the electric autopilot. Does yours work?

No, after New Caledonia there were problems with the electrics. They are very vulnerable on the water. So I started tinkering and built a wind vane for the boat - from materials that cost less than 20 euros in total. It works wonderfully. Since then, this little wind vane has been steering my boat. It's a very simple system that also helps to save electricity.

Are you still happy with the boat you built yourself?

Yes, with the same resources, i.e. a budget of around 4,000 euros, I would build the same boat again. With a little more budget, I would make some changes.

What would they be?

I would fit a simpler mast-stepping device, a keel that I can raise, and make a slightly lighter boat overall. It's a bit heavy for its size, and I don't make good progress in the lulls. But well, I used cheap materials, so it just got a bit heavier overall.

Do you already know what kind of boat you want to build next?

I have two projects in mind. A boat with a length of more than five metres - in other words, a large ship (laughs). I would love to sail it to Canada, into the snow and ice. On the other hand, I would like to build another boat like "Baluchon", only with the improvements I mentioned. But first I have to work a bit and earn some money. Then I'll decide which project to start on.

Which ocean did you like best?

The Pacific in Polynesia, it really was the most beautiful place. I have dreamt of the Marquesas Islands since I was a child. They are mythical islands that have fallen out of time. I always thought about arriving there on my own keel one day. To actually do it - that was an amazing moment!

And beyond that, would you have imagined something different - better or worse?

The whole trip was much, much better than I had imagined. So many people gave me a warm welcome - I would never have thought that. I thought I was doing a tour on my own. The many contacts are the really big surprise of this trip.