A look into the final moments of a sailboat stranded in Saint-Tropez

Lifted into the air, suspended by thick chains, the sailboat reveals its fatal wounds on its belly. The hull's nose torn off, its sides scratched, its guardrails bent, the sight of this tortured vessel, craned into the parking lot of the port of Saint-Tropez, brings its owner to tears. " For me, it was like a mobile home allowing me to take the trip of my dreams. I'm not tied to my car or my apartment, but my boat is my freedom ," Christelle Bes says, moved.

The coasts of Saint-Tropez are regularly affected by the stranding of yachts and sailboats, but very often the wrecks remain dormant for several weeks on the beaches or rocks and sometimes for several months stored on land. " We don't really like this kind of situation because it's generally difficult to identify the owners. And if we succeed, there are sometimes disputes or insurance problems that require long and complex procedures to record a forfeiture of ownership," sighs Michel Perrault, deputy director of port and maritime areas.

For example, the Yacht M, refloated last fall, and another small sailboat, have been stored in the parking lot for several months. " The progress of the procedures gives us hope for a removal in June ," adds the elected official.

Farewell to a companion

But here, there's no problem with insurance or finding a captain, since the owner is the one who made the report. Petit nuage, attached to a mooring in the Baie des Canebiers, saw its moorings give way under the force of the Easter weekend's bad weather. " A friend warned me that it was lying on the sand. We secured it so it wouldn't go back out to sea, and we removed the battery and sails to prevent looting. We only left some navigation equipment that could be useful to sailors who don't have much money, and it was taken. Then, I contacted my insurance company and Crossmed to make sure there was no danger."

A series of calls then followed to inform the gendarmes of the nautical brigade of Les Issambres, the Departmental Directorate of Territories and the Sea, and the town hall of Saint-Tropez of the accident. " I thought they were all in contact, but it went well and was rather quick."

After the administrative procedures that lasted a little over two weeks, the boat was towed, stripped, and evacuated in one morning. " We remove the elements that represent a risk of falling on the journey, but we are careful not to tear everything out of respect for its owner. It's the first time, moreover, that we have had the captain present during the evacuation," says Christophe Rohaut of the Maxime company in charge of the transport. As a farewell, two maritime shuttles from Bateaux Verts and Rose des Vents made a detour to sound their horns. " This professionalism did me good, as did the support of the other sailors. I'm relieved to see it leave like this."