Libertaire is a Damien II, a 15-meter steel cutter built around 1974. Purchased in February 2011 in Loctudy by Damien and Perrine, it already has quite a few miles under its belt — probably as many with its former owners (Jean-Michel and Jean-Charles) as with us: 62,300 nautical miles between 2014 and 2024.
In 2024, at 51 years old, he completed the Northwest Passage. Rather than retiring, he is giving himself a makeover. Major work underway in Dieppe: lifting keel transformed into a fixed keel, new wheelhouse, 4 cabins, and a fresh coat of paint. Relaunch planned for 2027.
Specifications
The interior volume is comparable to "a small 12 m" rather than a 16 m — the keel trunk and insulation eat up space. Hence the conversion to a fixed keel for 2027: freeing up space and creating 4 individual cabins.
The Engine
A Nanni diesel that "runs like clockwork" but whose parts are becoming hard to find. Turbo and heat exchanger replaced in Reykjavik in 2013. Full overhaul in 2014: intercooler, seawater pump, injectors, cylinder heads, upgraded alternator, starter rebuilt. In 2025, it was dismantled for the major refit. Its future is under discussion.
The heating, however, never falters: a Refleks 61MKS stove with central heating, forward and bathroom radiators, stainless steel buffer tank, and engine heat recovery. It runs 24/7 in Antarctica, Patagonia, the Arctic, and NWP—except when the engine is already warm enough.
Refit History
First haul-out. 18 new anodes welded. Hull painted black. Libertaire discovers the taste of boatyard work.
Summer haul-out: hull painted, deck touch-ups, full engine service. Just steps from Jean-Baptiste Charcot’s house.
Stuffing box redone, keel winch motor replaced, outdated wind generator removed in favor of a 3rd solar panel, insulation optimized, AIS receiver and battery monitor installed. New paint, antifouling, non-slip deck coating.
Forward cabin remodeled, waterproof bow bulkhead. New autopilot, anemometer, AIS transmitter, new wind generator. Full engine overhaul. Electrical system completely redone.
The big project. Keel removed, sandblasted, reinstalled. 1,200 L tank cleaned. Refleks 61MKS + central heating. 20+ deck holes patched, fittings rewelded for 100% waterproofing. Ice-reinforced propeller, 55 mm shaft reground. New radar (iceberg detection). Relaunched June 3, 2016.
Bow rebuilt down to bare steel. 5 layers of Jotamastic. Styrodur replaced with 5 cm polyurethane. Toilet relocated, waterproof bulkhead in 18 mm plywood bolted to stainless steel. New galley, new lockers. Relaunched January 2021.
Phase 1 (2024–2025): Boat emptied, engine disassembled, keel extracted, deck welded. New galvanized steel cockpit (3 mm), aluminum wheelhouse on stainless steel 50×50. New keel plating (8 mm, double as fuel tank). Sea chest, new through-hulls, stainless steel corners.
Phase 2 (2025–2026): Interior sanded, 45 kg of Jotamastic 87 Aluminum applied with airless. Goiot portholes reinstalled, new polycarbonate. Partitions, cabins, kitchen, TIG-welded stainless steel sink. Everything coated with epoxy resin.
Phase 3 (2026–2027): Installation of partitions, sprayed polyurethane foam, coatings, reassembly of equipment. Launch planned: 2027.
Equipment
Paint
Notable Voyages
France → Norway → Spitsbergen → Jan Mayen → Iceland → France. Damien celebrated his birthday in Longyearbyen. Perrine spotted a bear with binoculars. First baths at 6°C.
France → Brazil → Argentina → Patagonia → Tierra del Fuego → Cape Horn. Nina was 2 years old, Diane 10 months. Diane took her first steps in Itacaré. Nina discovered dolphins.
Puerto Williams → Antarctic Peninsula → Falklands. 3,730 miles in 6 months. 28 different anchorages. Nina and Diane recognized penguins better than their parents.
Chilean canals → Robinson Crusoe → Gambier → Easter Island → Polynesia → New Caledonia. 24-hour record: 186 miles. Ernest was born in Nouméa in January 2020.
New Caledonia → Fiji → Vanuatu → New Zealand → Tonga. School on board, then school on land in Nouméa. The girls cried when leaving their friends.
Gulf of Alaska → Aleutian Islands → Prince William Sound. Black bears, glaciers, blueberries. Libertaire wintered in the snow.
Alaska → Northwest Passage → Greenland → Ireland → France. 5 years in the Northern Hemisphere summarized in a few months. Northern lights, icebergs, and the return to Dieppe.