Meet the family that sails around the world with strangers
by Click&Boat 31 May 12:00 BST
The Bougets' catamaran © Click&Boat
We have all dreamed of quitting our job to travel the world. Pascal and Mireille Bouget did it, with a little bit of help from Click&Boat, the world's leading boat rental platform.
As the owner of a precision mechanics company, Pascal Bouget, a 46-years-old engineer from Brittany, had everything settled for an easy life. But something was missing. He and his wife Mireille felt that they needed a change of scenery. "We wanted to leave behind us Europe's hustle and bustle for something new," says Bouget.
Eventually, Pascal and Mireille decided to set sail for pastures new with their son Swann. They sold the company and left France in 2012 to settle on the island of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean, where they launched another company. But even that wasn't fulfilling enough. They decided to sell that company too, this time to sail around the world. In Mauritius the family bought a new vessel, Coyote, a 17-meter catamaran (Marquise 56) that would become their home for the years to come.
Since then the Bougets have been roaming the seven seas, seeing new places, delving into different cultures and, above all, relishing the sense of freedom and independence that only sailing can offer. They move from one location to another depending on the availability of visas. After seven years, of which three spent in the Caribbean and another three in Polynesia, the family has already sailed half the world. They are accompanied on their journey by their cat, Beepbeep, born on the boat, and their dog Shitzu, who boarded in Martinique.
Sailing around the world with Click&Boat
Sailing can be a pricey sport, especially if you practicing it far away from home. For a modern Phileas Fogg, the best way to make extra money is to rent out your boat through a boat hire platform such as Click&Boat. The family listed their catamaran on the platform in 2016 - the extra income helps them maintenance costs. Prospective renters contact the family to join them on their next trip.
But it's not just the money that draws the Bouget family to a sharing economy platform. By sharing their knowledge and experience with other sailing enthusiasts, the Bougets have made new friends. "Renters are an integral part of our tour. We meet interesting people who share our passion for exploration and sailing at the other end of the world," says Pascal Bouget.
French Polynesia, a small paradise on earth
In French Polynesia, 15,500 km from Brittany, the Bougets have found their sanctuary for now, a heaven on earth surrounded by sea. This French overseas territory is an archipelago of 118 islands, each one more beautiful than the other; Pascal Bouget personally recommends the archipelago of Gambiers for a sailing trip.
Their next destination? All the way west towards Samoa, Fiji, New Caledonia and eventually Asia. From there, they are planning to sail in the Indian Ocean to visit Seychelles, Mauritius, Reunion and Madagascar in Africa.