Captain Bastien's Logbook
Bastien Martinez's photos, videos and stories from the sea. Home port: La Ciotat, France.
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Inside the sea caves of the Calanques
July 2026, at the helm of O2 Mer, in the Calanques between La Ciotat and Marseille. On the 5th, the boat runs along tall white limestone cliffs, right at the water's edge. On the 6th, into a sea…
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MEDITS: a scientific trawling survey
June 2024, the MEDITS survey in the Gulf of Lion, on board L'Europe: deckhand and bridge watch for scientific bottom trawling. On the working deck, the trawl net and its yellow floats. The catch…
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Upstream in the La Maddalena archipelago
July 2024, bridge watch and manoeuvres on board Upstream, a 30 m motor yacht out of Port Grimaud. On the 25th and 26th, the La Maddalena archipelago, north of Sardinia: seen from the drone, rocky…
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The Girolata, from the galley to the deck
Summer 2021, pastry cook on the ferry Girolata, between Marseille and Tanger Med: 18 round trips over the season. In the galley, the white jacket; on deck, the deep blue Mediterranean. At dawn, the…
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Dalmatia, between Broce and Korčula
Late June 2023, chartering in the Dalmatian islands. On the 27th, Ipharra lies at anchor off Broce, on the Pelješac peninsula: seen from the drone, the white catamaran sits on deep blue water…
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Three days in the Aeolian Islands
7 September 2023, on the way back to La Ciotat. In the early afternoon, Ipharra reaches the Aeolian Islands under a dappled sky, then sails along tall cliffs of volcanic rock. In the evening, the sky…
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2026 season at the helm of O2 Mer
At the helm of O2 Mer, L'Eden Boat's passenger boat, in the Calanques National Park, sailing from La Ciotat.
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End of the season on O2 Mer
September 2026: end of the May-to-September season as skipper of the O2 Mer passenger boat (L'Eden Boat, La Ciotat), in the Calanques National Park: the calanques of Cassis and Marseille, the Riou…
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Disembarking in Manzanillo, Mexico
November 2024: after the Panama Canal, L'Atalante sails up the Pacific to Manzanillo (Mexico), where I disembark. End of the crossing that began in Brest the month before.
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Leaving Brest aboard L'Atalante
October 2024: departure from Brest aboard L'Atalante, Ifremer's 85 m ocean-going research vessel (Genavir), for a transatlantic crossing: 24 days at sea without a port call to the anchorage off Colón…
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DAS_LIG cruise: a subsea cable off Monaco
August 2024: aboard L'Europe for the DAS_LIG cruise, out of Nice: inspection of a decommissioned subsea cable between Monaco and Savona with the AsterX drone, on the continental slope off Monaco…
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CAPDONA cruise: the soft seabeds of the Gulf of Lion
August 2024: aboard L'Europe for the CAPDONA cruise, a study of the small animals of the Gulf of Lion's soft seabeds out of Sète, with seabed video off Port-la-Nouvelle, from 8 to 16 August (official…
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MEDITS cruise: scientific trawling in the Gulf of Lion
June 2024: aboard L'Europe for the MEDITS 2024 cruise, scientific bottom trawling in the Gulf of Lion out of Sète, with calls at Port-Vendres on 8 June, Collioure on 9 June and Port-la-Nouvelle on 14…
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L'Europe: UlyX drone trials
April 2024: deckhand and navigational watch aboard L'Europe, Ifremer's coastal research vessel (29.6 m, Genavir). Technical trials of the UlyX autonomous underwater drone between La Seyne-sur-Mer and…
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Ipharra's return via the Aeolian Islands and the Bay of Naples
September 2023: Ipharra's return to La Ciotat via the Strait of Messina, Panarea (Aeolian Islands, 8 and 9 September), Procida, Ponza, Castellammare di Stabia, San Felice Circeo, the island of Elba…
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Charter in Dalmatia with Ipharra
Summer 2023: charter in Dalmatia aboard Ipharra: Dubrovnik, Slano, Broce, Korčula, Hvar, Split, Trogir, Šibenik. Navigational watch, harbour and sailing manoeuvres; driving the tender for guest…
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Leaving La Ciotat on the catamaran Ipharra
May 2023: start of the season aboard S/Y Ipharra, a 31 m Sunreef 102 luxury sailing catamaran (Rosey Aventures): navigational watch, manoeuvres, all-round deckhand and chef cook. Delivery from La…
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Towing a container ship to Le Havre
Chief cook aboard the Abeille Normandie, sailing from Boulogne-sur-Mer. On board during the tow of a 200 m container ship in distress, from the Dover Strait traffic lanes to Le Havre (December 2022)…
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Back aboard the Abeille Méditerranée
November 2022: chief cook again aboard the Abeille Méditerranée, sailing from Toulon: the Strait of Bonifacio, then off Sète.
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Abeille Normandie, in Boulogne-sur-Mer
October 2022: chief cook aboard the Abeille Normandie, a 91 m emergency towing, assistance and rescue tug (Les Abeilles International) based in Boulogne-sur-Mer, at the disposal of the maritime…
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Abeille Liberté, in Cherbourg
August 2022: chief cook aboard the Abeille Liberté, an 80 m emergency towing, assistance and rescue tug (Les Abeilles International) based in Cherbourg.
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The Abeille Languedoc's last voyage, from Cherbourg to Brest
August 2022: chief cook aboard the Abeille Languedoc, a 63.5 m emergency towing, assistance and rescue tug, replaced in June 2022 by the Abeille Normandie after 44 years of service. Her last voyage…
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Abeille Méditerranée: presentation tour of Corsica
July 2022: chief cook aboard the Abeille Méditerranée, a 91 m emergency towing, assistance and rescue tug (Les Abeilles International) based in Toulon. Departure from Toulon for the end of her…
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Roxane Z: Lorient and Bayonne
From April to June 2022, deckhand and cook aboard the Roxane Z, a 34 m multipurpose vessel of Jifmar Offshore Services: support missions for the French Navy, one in Lorient, one in Bayonne.
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2021 season on the ferry Girolata
From July to September 2021, cook and pastry chef aboard the Girolata, a 177 m ro-pax ferry operated by La Méridionale, on the regular Marseille – Tanger Med (Morocco) route. About 18 round trips…
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Captain 500: course modules passed, training in progress
Course modules completed at Pôle Tauroentum (La Ciotat). Still to obtain: GMDSS GOC, Advanced Fire Fighting, Medical level 2.
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Taking command of O2 Mer
Skipper in command for the season in the Calanques National Park, out of La Ciotat.
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Panama Canal transited
5 November 2024: after 24 days at sea from Brest, L'Atalante waits at anchor off Colón, with other ships at anchor on the horizon. Before dawn on the 6th, the port lights shine under a heavy sky. In…
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Captain 200 GT (French Brevet de capitaine 200; < 200 GT, 20 nm) and Engineer < 250 kW certificates
Training at Mare Nicea (Nice), after a season aboard the Abeilles tugs.