About me
My name is Maxime Moussé, born in 1982, and I've been drawn to the sea for a long time.
One of my earliest sailing memories is of taking Optimist lessons off the beach at Sainte-Marguerite (Pornichet), with several of us sailing together. When it was time to go home, I couldn't tack and gradually drifted away from the coast, towards the open sea, scared... I then sailed on a 4.85 with my father, with whom we had various adventures.
But tacking in front of a beach wasn't enough for me: I remained drawn to cruising and the possibilities of travelling and exploring places. My parents offered me my first course at Les Glénans, on Île Verte (Paimpol) in 1999.
It was a semi-embarked junior course: the first week was spent ashore, with daily outings to the Bréhat archipelago. The second week is spent on board, exploring the surrounding coastline. The seeds of travel and discovery were planted!
Between 1999 and 2002, while I was still at highschool and studying at university, I took up rowing at a high level, which enabled me to qualify for the French national team. These were great years, demanding and intense, which allowed me to meet new people, travel and give me a taste for effort and pugnacity.
Much later, in 2009, I returned to Les Glénans for an adult training course, departing from Paimpol. At the same time, I sailed in a variety of situations, and the desire to learn more, share my knowledge and sail even more pushed me towards becoming a cruising instructor.
In 2012 I passed the 2 courses (technical and teaching) required to become an instructor, and that was the start of a long list of courses at Les Glénans, departing from Paimpol, Concarneau and Vannes. I've got to know a lot of great people there, and had the chance to do some sailing (some of it epic) in some magnificent places.
In 2018, I wanted to take my trimming further by returning to dinghies, and also took the dinghy instructor's exam that year.
Since buying 'Melody' in 2020, I haven't supervised any more courses, but I'll come back to meet people, see them progress and share some great moments.
Why sailing?
This activity means a lot to me...
First of all, it gives me an incredible feeling of freedom: on the water, to get from point A to point B, there are generally several possibilities, even an infinite number in an open space like the sea or the ocean. No roads, no traffic lights, no pedestrian crossings. As long as you respect a few basic rules (such as not trying to collide with others), you're free to do what you want. What's more, getting back on land is sometimes fun: you forget about the traffic quite easily.
Then there's the immense scope for discovery: magnificent landscapes, peaceful anchorages, changing weather conditions, curious and playful animals... I love visiting places for the first time, paying extra attention because everything is new: the indications on the map are often good, sometimes incomplete, sometimes bad. It forces you to be fully present to the moment and to listen to your intuition.
Very meaningful to me, it's a means of travel that relies on natural elements such as wind, tide and currents to move forward, forcing you to wait for better conditions or plan your departure accordingly. I like the idea that you're only in control of your own little piece of hull (and even then!) and that you do the best you can with the rest - a good lesson in humility! It also allows you to adjust to the natural rhythm of the sun, with long days in summer and shorter ones in winter. Every season has its charms...
Finally, the human aspect takes on its full meaning: you may have the impression that you're sailing solo, but in reality you depend on a myriad of other people who provide services (weather, radio...), can give us assistance if we need it, or simply have thoughts for us. And what can we say about sailing with a crew, where mutual trust and the proper execution of assigned tasks are vital to the smooth running of the boat. You can't cheat at sea: you can't pretend for very long, and complicated situations bring out the worst in everyone... or the best, depending on their personality.
To conclude, I enjoyed the encounters I made, the moments I experienced, the multiple parameters that forced me to question myself on a regular basis. It helped me gain confidence and develop skills that are useful elsewhere. All good reasons to come back... often!