Breskell: sponsors and friends

TO ALL OF YOU my family, my sponsors, my friends, my crew …

Like every other sailor attempting this passage, I was unable in 2018  to go through the North West Passage.  I tried as hard as possible not to deceive you and to sail around my personal « Himalaya ».  Nature had other plans for us this year.  I want to thank you all for your help and your support.  You alone made possible this extraordinary sailing journey through the Arctic

My dreams…  your help

My first thanks go to Patagonia my main and reliable sponsor.

They share my rugged sailing philosophy.   I join their fight eagerly “to make the planet great again” for those coming after us.

From the austral region around Patagonia to the North West Passage in the Arctic, with these two opposite polar destinations, PATAGONIA had only one goal : keeping us dry, warm and comfortable in those frigid latitudes. They have a long expertise in this field. Their specialized engineered clothes protected us from the rigors of northern sailing.  One of their wet-suit was a life saving equipment for us.  Thanks to it, one of my valiant crew dived into icy water, under my boat, saving my propeller and our journey. Without PATAGONIA this expedition would not have been possible.   A special thanks to Chris Gaggia, our main contact with Patagonia, since the  beginning of this project. To him, to them all, many many thanks from my crew and from myself.

http://www.patagonia.com/home/

THANKS TO ALL MY OTHERS SPONSORS WHO HELPED AND ENCOURAGED US

My personal thanks to my good friends at the SUNRISE COFFEE COMPANY in Port Townsend where we always receive a warm welcome with a cup of their special “NorthWest Passage ” coffee.

Bill and Sue at the Sunrise coffee, Thanks for  the wonderful coffee and useful tools.  And with many other coffees  selections at:

https://www.sunrisecoffee.net/

Strange as it looks, in Port Townsend after a steaming “North West Passage” coffee, why not enjoy close by a « Crêpe » at the « la crêpe de Quimper » food truck. This traditional Brittany delicacy is cooked the old fashion way by my beloved wife Coco, my son Theo or his wife Annie. Doing so, you are also helping me to bring Breskell  back home. Without their hard work, their support and their love, one crêpe at a time, the North West Passage would have not being possible. They are, with my beautiful daughter AZiLIZ, my best and beloved sponsor family team . To all of you members of my Breskell family  many many thanks again without forgetting dad and mom…

Thanks also to FILSON, our West Coast outdoor company and particularly Brian Fisher for their support.

I want also to personally thank Bob and his wonderful team of “Admiral Ship  Supply” for keeping Breskell beautiful and presentable with their high quality and durable marine paints in the extreme conditions of the northern  latitudes.  In the heart of the shipyard, at the Port of Port Townsend
 305 10th St, Port Townsend, WA 98368 || (360) 379-9921 (tel:(360) 379-9921)

http://www.admiralshipsupply.com

Thanks Bob !

And now talking about food?

Rob from Chimacum Corner Store. Thanks for all the delicious food.

And speaking of food, don’t let me forget the nice team at FINNRIVER…

Thanks to Eric, Crystie and Keith at Finnriver and thanks to the whole team for your support.

Kent and Britta with Blue Star Sail & Canvas took good care  of my boat …

You kept all the sails and dodger in good shape and worked hard to keep Breskell in shipshape condition.

Thanks to both of you.

Reading my blog you know how much we, sailors, depend on our <<iron sails>>.   Someday, the wind is nowhere. Sometime, in the middle of the night, we need to leave quickly an unprotected anchorage… My trusted but very old Perkins engine needed some specific doctor advises. I met Walt Trisdal, our best diesel surgeon on Port Townsend. Always helpful, always available, this mechanical genius explained me everything I needed to keep my battered Perkins healthy during my long trip to Greenland and later through the North West Passage. No web site for him. No fancy logo. His reputation is all he needs to be overbooked. My thanks Walt.

Of course, thank you to all at North West School  of Wooden Boat Building for your help and your support

Now, let me take this unique opportunity to offer my sincere appreciation and gratitude to the NorthWest School of Wooden Boat Building . I came to this school from so far away with an so unconventional curriculum and telling so strange seas stories…
Still, the school board trusted my stories and believed in my skills. They offered an old and traditional sailor an unique opportunity. They allowed me to teach their students about my lifelong passions: the sea, boats and the old tradition of wooden boatbuilding.
A dream job becoming a reality.
Being their ambassador and sailing my old Breskell from the east coast across the North West Passage to anchor her in the front door of my new home on Port Townsend is just my way to say to these wonderful people :

THANK YOU ALL!!!

Give me also the opportunity to warmly thank my crew, my wonderful crew.

Eric for being with me during all these three months.  He brought to Breskell his wonderful technical abilities, his vast knowledge, his courage and his hard work.

Thank Joe and Dom for your dedicated engagement, your beautiful pictures and your award-winning movies.  I am anxious to present your next video “Breskell” to our followers. Another award movie, I am sure.

Thanks Shannon for your smile, your good humor and your daily help.

Very special thanks to Damien.

You were a fantastic router.

Your precious information  made possible a trip without any serious mishaps that far north.

I like also to thank all you , close friends, friends known or unknown and every other supporters here in the US, or elsewhere in France, England, Switzerland, New Zealand.

Many thanks to all of you writing your support on my blog mostly in English, some in French other even in German !

Behind the curtains of my blog, a few other shadows opted to hide in the fog of the cyberspace.  Webmaster(Jean Rene),  corrector (Louise ),  cartographer (Sergio)..

I will never show enough gratitude for the support you provided to me and my crew… I can’t name everyone here.   Your name  IS on  “Breskell” and  in our HEART.  You sailed ALL with us.

A last word.  Can you believe that:  a long time ago, Jacques and Marie-Paule Fetis with the” SECODI” Society in France provide me with a Perkins. My trustworthy engine, the  faithful partner of my cold molded wood epoxy “Breskell”.   So long ago, in the years 1985, 1986, when I was building my boat bare handed. I will remember their help forever.  thank you, Jacques, Thank you Marie- Paule.

THANKS YOU SO MUCH TO ALL OF YOU….