THE TEAM
DAMIEN • Captain and skipper
« At 30 years old, I dream of taking on a new challenge in navigation. As an electro-mechanic, sailing instructor and military officer by training, I love to confront the power and beauty of our seas and oceans. The beginning of our adventure has taught me a lot and I wish to continue by discovering a new region of the world: Greenland, and Iceland make me dream. »
ALINE • Communication and media guru
« Hello, I’m Aline! I am 29 years old, Belgian and passionate about photography and nature. For 5 years, Damien has passed on his passion for sailing to me. The current climate issues and the protection of the environment are very important to me. I left my job as an engineer architect for this expedition. Our first 15 months have been magical and very rewarding. I’m really looking forward to set sail for the second part of our expedition! »
SANZARU • Our lovely sailboat
« Built in Sweden in 1995, I am a Maxi 1000 sailboat that has already covered thousands of nautical miles. I have lived in the Mediterranean for a long time and I am currently doing my second Atlantic tour. Damien and Aline adopted me in May 2019, then completely renovated me for months. Since mid-July 2020, I have been sailing with them across the ocean and allowing them to realize this beautiful project! »
“It’s the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting.”
OUR SAILBOAT
Sanzaru is a Maxi 1000, a 10m habitable monohull sailboat. Inside, you can find two cabins, a small kitchen, a chart table, a living room and a “bathroom” (without shower héhé). It is not a big sailboat but it’s really big enough for two people! It was designed by Pelle Petterson and built in Sweden in 1995. His specifications:
- Length : 10,20m
- Length in waterline: 8,20m
- Breadth: 3,25m
- Draft: 1,70m
- Length of mast: 13,30m
Length of boom: 4,40m
- Navigable height: 14,90m
- Deplacement: 4,5 ton
- Weight of keel: 1,5 ton
Hull material: polyester
Fuel tank: 65l
- Water tank: 90l
We made the choice of buying on old sailboat that was not in a really good state because our budget was not really high. We work hard during one year to make it ready for our expedition.
Why is our sailboat named “Sanzaru”?
We named our sailboat “Sanzaru” in reference to the “three wise monkeys”.
It is a symbol made up of three monkeys, each of which covers a different part of its face with its hands: the eyes, the mouth and the ears. 🙈🙊🙉 They are a Japanese pictorial maxim, embodying the proverbial principle “see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil“. These three little monkeys would therefore be a call to refuse evil in our existence.
But we also chose this name because we are great gourmets and love to eat and discover new flavors. And of course, our favorite restaurant in Brussels is called Sanzaru. If you want to please your taste buds and you are in Brussels, don’t hesitate!
HOW DO YOU PRONOUNCE “SANZARU”?
One year’s work to prepare our sailboat
When leaving for a sailing trip, it’s best to leave well equipped. We had one year to be ready. This preparation was demanding because it concerns many disciplines: electricity, electronics, safety equipment, training and medical equipment, rigging, engine overhaul, weather training, carpentry, installation of a fridge, sewing, sanding, painting, administrative preparation, insurance …
We also had to install the equipment which allows us to take the microplastic samples for OceanEye. They must be done according to a specific protocol so that the data collected can be used for analyzes. The sailboat must therefore be equipped with, among other things, an anemometer which makes it possible to measure the force of the wind when collecting samples. The purchase of this equipment and the Manta Trawl, as well as training in Switzerland, are part of a sizeable budget necessary to be able to sample.
To leave in complete safety and reassure our two moms, we also needed a good preparation and suitable equipment: several distress beacons, an Automatic Identification System, a satellite phone to communicate with earth and to download the weather files, mandatory safety equipment.
“To estimate the cost of a sailing trip: make a detailed estimate of the planned expenses, then double it! ”
OUR CAMERA GEAR
- GoPro Hero 8 Black – It allows us to film in all conditions, with its new crazy stabilizer.
- DJI Mavic 2 Pro – We named our drone “Pepito”, it’s thanks to him that we are able to get great shots from the sky and the quality is awesome! Best purchase ever!
- Canon 80D – We leave our IPhone and take this camera when we want to take really good picture or videos.
- RODE Videomicro – It’s with this fluffy micro that we are able to record nice sounds for our (soon-to-be) videos…
If you want to buy some new camera gear, don’t hesitate and go to Photogalerie, they are the best photography shop in Belgium (in our opinion) and have a lot of choices! We’ve bought our camera there since forever. They’re always happy to help you, even by mail or on the phone when you travel like us! Next time you shopping online, click this link first. Photogalerie will give us a pourcentage for every purchase you make during your session — nice way to help us, eh?!
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