Angélo Payet and Cécile Berton warmly welcomed me on board their sailing catamaran Temptation. They gave me a tour of this immaculate boat, which makes an ideal home for a family, being spacious and extremely stable. It is also a most suitable yacht for boat charters under the aegis of a competent skipper and his delightful crew.
How long have you been living on board your boat?
Angélo: For the past two years we have been living on board Temptation, a 14 metre (45 foot) sailing catamaran. Before that we had another catamaran (12 metres, 40 feet) on which we embarked upon a circumnavigation. We were in French Polynesia when Covid forced us to remain there during confinement. The restraints for travel made it far too difficult to continue our voyage. This prompted our decision to sell the boat and fly back to St Barts, when it was permitted.
What inspired you to live on board your boat?
Angélo: I was born and raised on St Barts where I developed a connection with the natural environment, particularly the sea. I initially worked as a fisherman to fulfil this passion for the ocean. I soon realised that my small fishing vessel had its limitations, which led me to buy a boat that was liveable.
Cécile: I was brought up in France, where my passion for the natural environment evolved. I’m like a fish in the water and especially love to free dive. Angélo and I both appreciate and respect nature’s beauty, particularly the waters surrounding St Barts. I have in fact worked for the environmental association of St Barts, which further exposed me to the wonders of the ocean and how much it needs our protection.
Who lives on board Temptation?
Cécile: There are just four of us: Angélo, me, our 14 year old son Lenny and our small dog Nala.
What is life like for a child on board a boat?
Cécile: Living on the water in the open air obviously gives a child a different perspective on life. Lenny was introduced to the boating world at a young age, so he quickly learned a lot of practical skills through watching us sail and maintain the boat. He soon became a competent deckhand, as well as an assistant galley chef to feed a hungry crew.
What are the positive things about life on board a boat?
Cécile: We love the freedom associated with being so close to nature. We both share a passion for travel and there is no better way to discover the world than on a boat. On a smaller scale, we frequently make day passages to the nearby bays and deserted islands. We have recently started chartering our boat, welcoming clients on board to enjoy and appreciate the impressive coastline of St Barts and its pristine waters.
What are the disadvantages of living on a boat?
Angélo: We are forever exposed to the elements of nature, much more so than living on land. The salt water and sea air cause damage to the structure of the boat, particularly rust and corrosion. This requires constant vigilance of the boat in order to carry out preventative maintenance, as well as reparations when needed. Living on the water makes us mindful about conserving water and electricity, which are in limited supply and relatively expensive to replenish. Doing grocery shopping is a whole adventure in itself, loading and unloading the bags of produce from the dinghy onto the boat – trying hard not to drop anything in the water.
What message would you like to share with the readers of Coccoloba?
Our lifestyle allows us to avoid the challenges faced on land, such as traffic jams and disruptive construction. Nevertheless, we face different problems, notably when other boats ignore the maritime code of conduct. Speeding dinghies are hazardous to both sea turtles and swimmers. In addition, there are not enough mooring buoys for visiting charter yachts, so they either use any buoy that happens to be free (creating problems when the owner returns to their buoy) or they simply drop their anchor, which is harmful to the seabed. We believe that the bays and harbour should be divided into specific areas: one for liveaboarders, one for day trippers and one for swimmers. Anyone caught disrespecting the rules should be fined. We have spoken to the Collectivity about this, but little has been done. We encourage readers who support our sentiment to speak out about it.
