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1 January 2026 · 22 min · 1K views · Le Lamentin, France
CORAIL sails toward distant islands under bright blue sky
What this video covers
Corail, a 1991 Beneteau Oceanis 440, is preparing a return transatlantic passage from Martinique to Toulon, planned to depart mid-February and take roughly four months.▶ 3:08 The primary route runs Martinique–Les Saintes–Saint-Martin (for duty-free provisioning)–Azores (Horta)–Gibraltar–Mediterranean.▶ 2:00 An alternate, longer route would add the Bahamas and a stop at Nassau before crossing, extending the trip to around ten months; Bahamas entry fees now exceed the roughly $400 USD paid on the outbound leg, and boats over 35 feet pay a higher rate.▶ 4:45 The skipper rules out a Canadian Maritime detour via Îles de la Madeleine and Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon because ice risk in May makes it unsuitable for a fibreglass hull.▶ 7:07 The boat carries no Starlink; communications rely on a Garmin inReach Mini 2 for satellite weather in basic format, with interest in a remote weather-routing arrangement.▶ 17:36 The skipper outlines crew expectations: no smoking below, one drink per day maximum, vegetarian-leaning meals, and a watch system where the skipper stays off formal night watches but monitors continuously.▶ 13:12 Corail's three-cabin, three-head layout (approximately 18 seacocks total) and Lavac toilets — pump replacements around €280, seat replacements around €300 — are flagged as maintenance considerations for prospective crew.▶ 19:07 On the outbound Atlantic crossing, the boat lost a spinnaker pole and a steering sector broke due to autopilot load in 4.5-metre seas.▶ 18:53
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