Boaty Base Camp

Sailing for sailing’s sake is great, but young cruisers also think of their boats as a base camp, or a vehicle that serves as a platform for adventure sports. From rock climbing the rugged shores of Greenland to freediving in the Tuamotus, millennials aren’t content to sit and read a book on the boat all day.

Two Swiss brothers, Alexandre, 31, and David Giovannini, 29, recently navigated the Northwest Passage in Bonavalette, their 1979 Dufour 35. The trip was sponsored in part by Swiss cheese-maker Le Gruyère AOP—AN excellent excuse for fondue on an iceberg!

Both avid kiteboarders, they were determined to ride in one of the world’s most extreme environments. After donning survival suits, one brother flew the kite in the frigid waters of a small cove while the other sat in the dinghy looking out for polar bears.

“One thing we learned along the way is that while it’s great to just sail, your boat can also give you access to remote places where you can hike, climb, kiteboard or dive,” David says. “Some of our best experiences have been in places where we were the only boat in the anchorage.”

After this adventuresome duo successfully transited the Northwest Passage, they went on to kiteboard the warmer (and polar-bear-free) waters of the South Pacific. You can follow their adventures (in French) at Bonavalette