Jolie Brise Archive

2006(13th September- December 20th 2006)

Produced in association with Dauntsey's School

Wednesday the 20th December La Brigantine Adventure!

Well Sorry for the lack of updates but we have not been to any Ports where it's been easy to update the site in the last few weeks. Also the guys got very busy towards the end of the trip so didn't have too much time to write reports
Since the last report the La Brigantine crew has left Jolie Brise to return home and Jolie Brise is in her winter Berth In Porto Mogan (Gran Canaria). However in the past month Jb sailed from Lisbon down to the Canaries, and then ,due to the unusually strong trade winds and the fact that the whole project had got behind scheduale,we decided to head North to Maderia and then across to Morroco. From Morrocco to to Gran Canaria via Lanzarote and Fueteventura!

Approaching Morroco and pictures around Issouira

to keep on going down to the Cap Verde,s was not going to be a good idea as the Northerly trades had been blowing so hard for so long, that the beat back up would have been a nightmare.

Maderia and then a bit of windy
stuff between Morroco and Lanzarote

Wednesday the 15th of November

La Brigantine Adventure!
Latest update

Sorry this time it's in English as we are still waiting for a report from the guys on Jolie Brise.

After being storm bound in Brest for what must have seemed a life time the crew had a pretty quiet crossing across the Bay of Biscay they arrived in Lisbon about 12 days ago and Jolie Brise was lifted out of the water, and re-fitted (see the pics below) At the same time the guys started the classroom course with exams on Saturday (results still waiting!!) They have now Left Lisbon heading for the Canaries, perhaps stopping at Maderia en route depending on time and the weather!

Tuesday the 24th of October

La Brigantine Adventure!
Cela fait une semine que nous sommes arrives a douarnenez et nous pourrons partir dans 2-3 jours si le temps nous le permet toujours. Nous sommes en ce moment bloque ici a cause de plusieurs anticyclones qui perturbent beaucoup le Golfe de Gascogne, etape par laquelle nous devons passer pour nous rendre a lisbonne.

Nous y arriverons avec 4 jours de retards donc 4 jours de moins sur place. Il n'y a pas grand chose a faire a Douarnenez. Nous nous occupons en faisant des jeux sur le bateau et nous sortons le soir soit entre nous soit avec Maud et Fabien quand nous avons du temps libre. Le temps n'est pas des meilleurs en Bretagne, la meteo change tout le temps et nous nous ramassons beaucoup de vent et de pluie. Nous sommes meme alles au restaurant un soir (dans une creperie) pour y manger des crepes bretonnes. Un apres-midi nous sommes alles visiter un musee de navigation, c'etait assez interessant et je crois que ca a plu a tout le monde. Il y avait beaucoup de vieux bateaux et nous avons aussi pu visiter de tres vieux bateaux de peches et autres dans le port (ce n'est pas le meme luxe qu'ici). Il y a parfois des tensions entre nous mais que dans l'ensemble nous arrivons encore assez bien a gerer. Ce n'est pas si evident d'etre toujours avec les memes personnes et parfois on pete tous un peu les plombs! Mais bon nous formons quand meme une bonne equipe dans le fonds. Et quand nous naviguons et que ce n'est pas evident, nous sommes tous solidaires les uns envers les autres. C'est une chose tres importante. Sinon, nous avons tous pu passer des coup de fils a nos proches et j'ai l'impression que ca nous a fait a tous beaucoup de bien. Nous attendons avec impatience le depart pour le Golfe de Gascogne, etape qui va etre quand meme assez importante dans notre voyage et qui, je crois, nous preoccupe tous beaucoup! Demain nous partons visiter Quimper (car nous n'avons pas pu louer de bus pour aller au Mt St Michel). Encore trois jours avant le grand depart. Bonne Nuit et a bientot

And now the English translation

We have been in Douarnenez for a week and it looks like a window could open in few days. We have been stormbound here because of a run of deep depressions with gales and storm force winds. We need to get through Biscay to get to Lisbon. We will be arriving 3 or 4 days late which will mean a few days less in Lisbon. There is nothing much to do here in Douarnenez. We play games on the boat and we sometimes go out in the evening, on our own or with Maud and Fabien. The weather is no better in Brittany, always changing with lots of wind and rain. We went to a restaurant the other night (a creperie) and had crepes bretones. We visited a maritime museum one afternoon which was very interesting and I think that everyone enjoyed it. There were old boats and we visited some old fishing boats (not as luxurious as JB). It is somtimes tense between us but on the whole we seem to get along fine. It is sometimes not easy to live together in a confined space and someone occasionly blows a fuse, but we are getting to be a good team. When we are sailing we are a very good team and that is what is important. We have been able to phone home and it has been good for us. We are eagerly waiting for our departure to Lisbon, a step which is quite important and that we think a lot about. We are going to Quimper tomorrow as we have not been able to rent a minibus to go to Mont St Michel. Three days before the big sail. Good night and see you soon

Sunday the 22nd of October

La Brigantine Adventure!

Well it looks like they are all having a good time. But infact there has been a succesion of depressions making it impossible for them to cross the Bay of Biscay at the moment!!!

Tuesday the 17th of October
La Brigantine Adventure!

English translation to follow soon!!!

Resume Des echanges avec les jeunes de la-bas sont prevus et une sorte de mission humanitaire aussi. Il s'agit d'apporter du materiel scolaire aux jeunes Cap Verdiens. Une expedition qui va sans doute changer notre vision des choses! Le debut La vie en bateau est tres difficile.

La fatgue et les efforts effectues se font ressentir, mais la navigation est un moyen de s'ouvrir a d'autre choses qui pour certains sont encore inconnues. On prend la mer assez souvent et nous faisons des escales dans des ports.

Impossible de se souvenir de tous les noms a part qu'il se termine tous par -mouth (mammouth).

Nous avons fait une regate et nous avons fini premier! Eh oui, après une semaine de navigation nous avons decroche "the first place" et une tres belle coupe! Une belle occasion pour nous de laisser eclater notre joie et notre fierte aux yeux des autres ! Comme quoi les ptit suisses ont le pied marin.

Aujourd'hui une rude soiree nous attend 8-9 de navigation avec le nouveau capitaine Christian pour aller jusqu' a Weymouth. Nous arriverons aux alentours de minuit et d'ici 2-3 jours nous irons en France. Alors a bientot pour de nouvelles aventures de nos apprentis marins.

Friday the 22nd of September

Wednesday the 20th of September

well this is really the 4th year photo gallery now

Sunday the 17th of September

A really good day out on the Solent

Saturday the 16th of September

A very grey day and a busy Solent

Friday the 15th of September

Another 4th year group, with a bit more breeze, for many of this lot it was there 1st proper sail at sea !!!!!

Thursday the 14th of September

For the next few weeks it is the 4th year trips on Jolie Brise, each group spends 24 hours on board getting an idea of life at sea. The whole of the 4th year come on board in groups of 10 at a time. This way every Student who leaves Dauntsey's will have sailed on J.B. at some point!!!