destination unknown
launch & maiden voyage
Experience the 'birth' of DESTINATION UNKNOWN and it's maiden voyage though images
The Fitout
Privilège Marine is based in Les Sables d'Olonne on the Atlantic coast of France. It's here we witnessed DESTINATION UNKNOWN emerge from the factory like a new-born baby. The task of fitting out and provisioning was about to begin.
It's a daunting task when you consider there is absolutely nothing onboard to enable sailing and living aboard. Everything from cutlery to life rafts, pillows to safety flares had to purchased and stowed aboard.
Watching the team at Privilège complete the internal fitout was impressive. A highlight was being there to watch the mast beeing stepped.
After two months of non-stop effort, we had a shake down cruise to La Rochelle to see if everything 'worked'. Success!
Maiden Voyage
DESTINATION UNKNOWN's first voyage took us from Les Sables d'Olonne on the Atlantic coast of France, across the Bay of Biscay and onto the Spain and then Portugal.
Trying to avoid Orcas was a priority as we made our way to Gibraltar and the famous Rock.
We entered the Mediterranean and headed east, following the Spanish coast before crossing over to Ibiza for a well earned break. Onwards then to Majorca and a 2 day crossing to the northern tip of Sardinia. The archipelago of La Maddalena and Puerto Cervo were highlights and then onto Sicily and the Aeolian Islands. Stromboli was at it's brooding best, erupting with a bellow of smoke and ash every 15 minutes.
Through the Straits of Messina, a stopover in Taormina on Sicily and then another 2 day passage across the Ionian Sea to Greece. With a few time pressures to reach Montenegro, it was up through the islands of the Ionian, Corfu and finally the Bay of Kotor.
We covered 3,500Nm in a little over 8 weeks. A magnificent, incident free trip. That has to be good.
