Please select your home edition
Edition
Sunstorm Marine - Mesh Bag - RIB
Product Feature
Crewsaver Race Top
Crewsaver Race Top

Meet the family that sails around the world with strangers

by Click&Boat 31 May 2019 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.

Related Articles

Dylan Fletcher previews Portsmouth
Fletcher says SailGP's Portsmouth debut offers the team the chance to 'right the wrongs'. With just a week to go until SailGP's return to Great Britain, we sit down with Emirates GBR driver Dylan Fletcher to discuss the opportunities and pressures of a home event. Posted today at 8:57 am
Lighter Gear for Longer Days
Summer sailing demands a different approach When daylight stretches into evening and conditions call for extended sessions, hot and heavy gear can become your biggest limitation. Posted today at 7:30 am
Long Beach Olympic Classes Regatta 2025 Preview
The fourth stop of the five series Sailing Grand Slam circuit Over 200 elite athletes from 42 nations have converged on Long Beach to test their skills on the same waters that will host sailing events during the LA2028 Olympic Games as they compete in the Long Beach Olympic Classes Regatta July 12-20 Posted today at 12:11 am
Long Offshore Race winners declared in Helsinki
A demanding course across the Gulf of Finland in the Garmin ORC Double-Handed Europeans The Long Offshore Race of the 2025 Garmin ORC Double-Handed European Championship, concluded on Friday in Helsinki after a challenging 247 to 283-nautical-mile course across the Gulf of Finland and back. Posted on 11 Jul
Best Buddies from Germany win the AEGEAN 600 2025
The second wave of finishers benefit from last night's steadier breezes Behind the first wave of finishers yesterday morning, yesterday and last night's steadier breezes helped sweep in another wave of Monohull and Multihull finishers to the race finish at Cape Sounion. Posted on 11 Jul
Conversation with Ben Willows: CEO RS Marine Group
Some people's passion for sailing runs so deep, it feels like it's woven into their DNA There are some people whose passion for sailing runs so deep, it feels like it's woven into their DNA. Ben Willows is one of those people. Posted on 11 Jul
International Moth Worlds at Lake Garda Day 4
Balanger dominates qualifying, storm cuts Gold fleet racing short Day four of the 2025 Moth World Championship opened at dawn with another early start for the 137 athletes from 25 nations competing on Lake Garda. Posted on 11 Jul
iQFOiL Worlds in Aarhus overall
Thrilling Medal Series closes out a spectacular week of high-stakes foiling in Denmark The 2025 iQFOiL World Championship wrapped up in Aarhus with a spectacular Medal Series showdown that saw Emma Wilson (GBR 7) and Andy Brown (GBR 360) rise to the top and secure World Championship titles. Posted on 11 Jul
Rolex Fastnet Race IRC Three preview
This has produced the overall winner of two of the last six editions IRC Three may consist of smaller, slower and in some cases older boats than those that will garner headlines in the first couple of days of the Rolex Fastnet Race. Posted on 11 Jul
Zhik Nordic Youth Sailing Championship preview
This year's regatta will be the largest of its kind ever hosted in Tallinn Tallinna Yacht Club brings one of the biggest sports events of the summer to Haven Kakumäe - 300 young sailors expected at the Zhik Nordic Youth Sailing Championship, plus just as many supporters on shore! Posted on 11 Jul