Resignation of the engineer position on February 8th, first supervision as sailing instructor on June 1st.

I rephrase: I was on a permanent contract, in Norway, I became a volunteer sailing instructor, half living-homeless in no time.

When you jump into the void, it’s going fast. It can be scary but when you have a program it is perfectly doable, just follow it without pressure.

Becoming instructor was just a step in my project. The goal is to receive a proper course worthy of the name, to make my first experiences as a captain with the security of a structure like les Glénans.
For me, it was necessary, even if I was already sailing alone in Norway. I like doing things in the right order, I’m self taught, but when it comes to safety I prefer to be wise: the rock has always the last word!

Continuous training of Glénans

To become instructor, I followed the continuing training of the Glénans in Paimpol. It is a course that I fully financed by myself at the price of 4500 € and which lasted 4 months and a half.

It’s an adventure in itself. I met great people both humanly and technically. This course made me grow in many ways thanks to the people who coached me and to the other trainees who also have fabulous projects. Links were created and ideas germinated during such a journey, projects can be born!

I initially planned to supervise only to become better, to validate my skills: how to explain a science without a minimum to master it? It was a fair approach but a little cold, purely theoretical. The practice revealed to me the pleasure of transmitting my knowledge. It’s a huge bonus, a new rope to my bow.

Waiting for the lock to access the Vauban basin of Saint-Malo, June 15, 2019. Photo by Claire, first session.

Incredible! By doing an instructor training, one become an instructor! That’s crazy…

But I already have my project. I had the opportunity to invest more in the project of les Glénans, it is something very tempting. When you set foot there, you feel good and want to continue. But keeping my heading, my goal has always been the priority, so I’m sail instructor and I will practice as such from time to time, without becoming a “giant” of the association.

The end of the season is a proper hard landing. Hard return to the reality of the mainland, it is imperative to continue and move to the next stage, and quickly before the depression wins me: find my own boat, and the good one!

10/19/2019: Welcome to Øya, the sailboat that will join the project.

A first challenging internship for a beginner instructor, northeast of Erquy.