Hervé and Mélanie Potez are the owners of an Allures 45 called Myriades. Since 2018, they have been sailing together, « 7 days a week, 24 hours a day », discovering new destinations. The couple told us about two milestones in their sailing journey: Patagonia and Alaska.
A project, a sailboat
« We decided to leave in Blue Water Sailing for a period of 3 years. Originally, we wanted to sail to Cape Horn, then to New Caledonia, via the canals of Patagonia and Polynesia, destinations that I had always dreamed of discovering » Start Hervé.
« We wanted a simple, aluminum sailboat. Alloys 45 looked at us... so, before we bought it, we rented it to try it, put us in a situation, be certain that it would suit us. »
If you too want to rent a boat to test it, contact us.
Convinced, Mélanie and Hervé launched, in 2015, the construction of their boat: « We made some changes, notably on the rear panel (longened rear line), the safe openings (more accessible) and the front cabin (a classic triangular bed). So that today, Myriades is the only Allures 45 exactly like that! » They smile.
For three summers, the navigators prepare their departure – first in the vicinity of Cherbourg after the sailboat's new age, then in the Mediterranean... Time to complete their training, close professional obligations and take control of the boat in an optimal manner.
From the Mediterranean to the southern hemisphere
« We're in the middle of summer 2018. We planned to sail in 6 months to Patagonia. But that wasn't really reasonable... So we decided to take a few steps ahead: in the Balearic Islands, Gibraltar and Morocco, where we experienced our first change of scenery. Then we joined the Canary Islands, Cape Verde and the Brazilian archipelago Fernando de Noronha. We spent three months in Brazil: the arrival in Rio de Janeiro Bay, in particular, was a very strong moment! »
For this first crossing of the Atlantic, two teammates joined the owners between Cape Verde and Brazil.
The discovery of Patagonia
« After leaving Myriades in Piriapolis, Uruguay, for the 3 months of winter, we finished the final preparations in Mar del Plata, Argentina. Then we chained the small navigations from two to three days, towards the Great South. We met several beautiful depressions and experienced our first « 50 knots » on the way to Ushuaiah. Up to 40 goes, but beyond that, we're really in something that's not pleasant. Noise, wind, it's something else at 50. When, moreover, it falls on us in the middle of the night...! »
The destination they had dreamed of was more than up to their expectations: « The atmosphere, the lights and colors, space and immensity are really worth it. In the canals of Patagonia, we enjoyed the many notebooks to discover every day and the majestic glaciers, which plunged in front of us, directly into the water. We spent a lot of time in the south, where there were possibilities for extraordinary treks, especially around Isla Gordon. » Tell Melanie.
In these isolated places, they did not regret having achieved a very good supply – fuel, food, gas... since the ports of call « City » were held once a month. « Embarking spare parts is also important! » stresses Hervé.
From the south to the north of the Patagonia during the Southern Summer 2019-2020, the crew of Myriades evolved mostly to the engine: « We had the wind and the current against us, 80% of the time. To enjoy the sailing canals, you should navigate the other direction and visit the Patagonia from north to south ». The crew of Myriades, who had boarded a total of 750 litres of fuel – 550 litres in tanks and 200 litres in tanks on deck, did not encounter any particular problem.
On their 14 meters long aluminium sailboat, Mélanie and Hervé are equipped with a 35 kg spade anchor with 90 m of chain Ø 10 mm and 4 x 110 m of aussiers: « It was ideal for anchoring in the shelter of the wind, very close to the coast. Often, in Patagonia, the avoidance radius was very weak and we had to wear moorings on the ground, often approaching us 3 meters from the rocks ». In this area of navigation where there is a lot of algae, the sailors also used much of the paddles in their annex, and a serp to release anchor from the algae. They recommend a crew of 4 people, for safety and to facilitate manoeuvres.
« In Patagonia, we prepared our navigations a lot. Each daily destination included its Plan A and Plan B. Mapping in the area is risky: several times we had to study satellite images to complete our approaches » says Hervé.
For navigation in Alaska, navigation can easily be done in pairs, anchorages are much easier. To navigate comfortably in the fog, a radar and an AIS in emission-reception are almost mandatory.
In addition to their Iridium GO, at the time, they were equipped with a Garmin inReach GPS to take with them in case of abandonment of the boat. This equipment also accompanied them when they went down to the ground, so that they could contact the rescue if needed.
Road to Alaska
After Patagonia's canals, the couple set course, as planned, on Polynesia. The first transpacific lasted 35 days, until the Gambian archipelago.
« On a sailing trip, it often happens that we change our plans: we meet crews who recommend us to go discover places of call that marked them and, sometimes, we choose a route to avoid administrative complexities. That's how after two seasons in Polynesia, we found ourselves heading towards Alaska! » Tell Melanie.
In May 2023, the crew left the Polynesian territory by the Marquesas to stop at Hawaii after 13 days of sea. Then it crosses the North Pacific and reaches King Cove, southwest of Alaska, after 15 days.
« Only about ten sailboats per year stop at this place, at the end of the Alaska Peninsula. We were the first of the year! We wanted to arrive as early as possible in the season to then visit the entire Gulf of Alaska ».
In Alaska, Myriades was generally wet in 20 to 25 metres of water depth. The supply was easy because there are many fishing ports.
From King Cove to Ketchikan – on Revillagigedo Island in southeastern Alaska – the navigators have taken advantage of many stops. For example, Captain Harbor – in Belkofski Bay, on Popov Island, Kenai, Kodiak, Prince William Bay, Cordova or Sitka.
They greatly appreciated the ports of call, the hot springs, the salmon fishery and the historical and cultural richness of the territory.
Among the most significant moments of their navigation in this part of the world are encounters with bears, especially with marine wildlife and whales: « We loved this animal nature, raw, wild, far from men... and the beautiful encounters we had in Alaska » You can trust them.
Shipping in cold waters: practical questions
The vessel's fittings and equipment
For life on board Myriades, heating is done thanks to a Webasto (gasoil heating, hot air blower), which was supplemented by the addition of an aerotherm on the engine cooling circuit. This allows to recover the heat from the engine and dehumidify the boat in cold climates. A small pulsed air heater is added, when necessary, in the rare cases where the boat is docked. The owners also completed the insulation carried out by the Allures construction site with the installation of an insulating coating on the floors and the installation of a double glazing in stretch film on the windows and panels.
For the day and night shifts, Hervé and Mélanie have set up a closed bar post in which to stay sheltered from the wind and rain. They also equipped themselves with suitable clothing (three-layer system, as in the mountains).
Finally, with a temperature between 3 and 9°C in the bottoms of the boat in Patagonia and Alaska, the spaces were used to store food. The clothes and books were all stored in waterproof pockets so as not to be damaged by ambient humidity.
Learn more about preparing Myriades.
Water production on board
Equipped with a desalinizer, Hervé and Mélanie generally use for the production of drinking water on board. « Around Ushuaia and beyond, especially near glaciers, the water was too soft and too cold: between 4 and 10°C. So we avoided using our equipment to avoid damage. We have returned to the Gulf of Penas, Chile. In the canals of Patagonia, we never had a problem with water supply: it was raining a lot, and our « Rain tarpaulin » has often recovered several tens of litres of perfectly pure water ».
Melanie and Hervé participate in our seminars Blue Water Sailing, Register to meet them.