He now has the Bay of Biscay in his wake and reports on the progress of his journey and his modifications to the plywood DIY boat on his Facebook page. Even during his first circumnavigation, the man in his mid-fifties shared his journey with his fans in friendly and unembellished posts. Most recently, many of the posts were about how he modified "Baluchon" (the French word for bundle) based on his experiences.
Self-taught boat builder
The self-taught boat builder designed and built his sailing vessel himself in his small shipyard in his native Brittany. On his French-language website www.boat-et-koad.com, he provides insights into his previous small boat projects, in which he specialises.
Quenet's first circumnavigation
Dream circumnavigation
He had always dreamed of a great sailing voyage, the Breton once told YACHT in an interview. In 2019, the time had come, "Baluchon" was ready - he had previously been shipwrecked with a wider prototype - and Quenet set sail. He sailed across the Atlantic to the Caribbean and then took his bright red vessel overland through Panama to the Pacific. It doesn't even have an outboard motor. The adventurer uses a long paddle to manoeuvre in calm conditions.
The small boat as an admission ticket
He explained how the convinced minimalist manages to motivate himself again and again despite the hurdles and hardships of his extraordinary journey:
"For me, it's mainly an opportunity to get to know people I would never have met otherwise. I really like that. There's no one who seems stupid or criticises my trip, 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."
Book about minimalist sailing around the world
Quenet has written a book about his first major adventure with "Baluchon", which is available in German translation as "My Tiny Boat" has been published by Delius Klasing Verlag.
In it, he tells of the highs and lows of the tour around the world in a likeable and humorous way:
"I've been invited to farewell lunches and dinners for more than three weeks now. It's about time that came to an end, I'm starting to get a belly. On the other hand, I can eat a few reserves and don't have too much time to think about the very long distance ahead of me.
On the morning of my departure, several friends stand on the quay to wish me a good journey and bring me cakes, sweets or tins of sardines. I am very touched. The "Baluchon" is already fully loaded, but I don't dare refuse."
Read more by and about Yann Quenet
An extract from the chapter on the longest leg of his journey, which took him across the Indian Ocean from New Caledonia to Réunion in 77 days, can be read on yacht.de.
Whether Quenet will make it around the world again remains to be seen. But he and his "Tiny Boat" are certainly capable of it. Especially as the experience gained from his first circumnavigation will allow him to approach many things with even more composure than he already does.
