Podcast Maré Sonora ® · video

What this video covers

Between 1969 and 1973, Jérôme Poncet and Gérard Janichon circumnavigated the globe aboard *Damien*, a 32-foot steel cutter designed by Robert Tucker.2:03 The pair departed La Rochelle, France, at age 22, aiming to reach extreme latitudes without modern navigation aids like GPS or AIS.5:01 Relying on celestial navigation and paper charts, they sailed north to Spitsbergen and Svalbard, reaching 80 degrees north, before navigating the Amazon River and eventually the Antarctic Peninsula.3:32 During the voyage, the crew faced significant physical and mechanical challenges, including a three-month hospitalization for Poncet in the U.S. Virgin Islands and multiple knockdowns near South Georgia that dismasted the vessel.10:31 They successfully jury-rigged the boat to reach Grytviken.14:44 After completing their journey, *Damien* was eventually restored as a historic monument and is now displayed at the Musée Maritime de La Rochelle.18:51 The vessel remains available for sailing through the Association des Amis du Musée Maritime de La Rochelle.19:11

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