Day 5: First Parachute Trials

The waste gathered in 2019 and weathered by time was extracted from the island yesterday. Therefore, we gather at the northern end of the beach to begin the collection of “new” waste. Each of us carries 2 or 3 collection bags, and we separate the different types of waste we find: hard plastic on one side, nets, foams, and polystyrene on the other. Another large bag is dedicated to PET bottles (mainly water bottles), which are becoming less common, and we store glass bottles, neon lights, and bulbs that we find in a bucket.

The organization is efficient, and the collection is progressing well. However, from 8 a.m., we find ourselves trapped in a real oven: the steep cliffs that border the shore where we are provide complete protection from the wind. However, they also reflect the heat of the sun, literally suffocating us. We accelerate the pace to stay in this area for the least amount of time possible. Everyone carries their water, and as the journeys are long to fill the water bottles from this distant point of the camp, we ration ourselves to finish as quickly as possible.

Around 11 a.m., we finally see the end of this area. A short break for water and energy bars brings back our smiles. But we have to go back to load the big bags onto our rafts! The physical effort is significant, but the return is more pleasant as it is done in waist-deep water, towing the morning’s load. The end of the morning allows us to reach the height of our base camp, and we are amazed at the speed with which we have progressed! At the halfway point of the day, half of the beach is cleaned!

The second part of the day is dedicated to parachute trials because the weather conditions are deteriorating, and we probably won’t be able to use our platform system from tomorrow. In the case of waves too high on the reef, the beach becomes a prison bordered by an impassable wall for 200 Kg big bags. If the weather is accurate regarding the forecasted swell tomorrow, we need to be completely ready today

The first attempt is a resounding failure: we don’t have enough power with the towing boat, and the wind doesn’t assist us sufficiently in getting the wing to take off. The sail inflates but falls back a few tens of meters from the shore after trying to hoist the bag positioned at the water’s edge.

We try a second time, and this time the system almost works! The boat pulls in the exact direction of the wind, and the big bag soars for a few meters before slowing down and settling on the water, just before the reef. Below the bag, we have attached a raft with two floaters that allow it to land gently and not sink. Each maneuver is long and intense: the parachute, full of water, must be brought back to the sand, untangled, and prepared again. The Dyneema link connecting the parachute to the boat must be reestablished. Just to complete this step of establishing the link between the sea and the shore, we have to send a drone borrowed from one of the media crew, equipped with a release system, above the support boat. Then, a few meters above the boat, release a carabiner attached to a fishing line on which Tanguy and Pamphile attach the trailer, and we pull it back to the shore! But with each new attempt, we become faster and more precise. Training is necessary before running out of options.

In the late afternoon, the third and final attempt of the day is successful. The sight of the big bag soaring above the reef is surreal. We shout with joy! The system is proven! It comes from the minds of Simon and Thibault, who had mentioned the idea of the parasail in a humorous tone a few months ago. Thibault, if you’re reading this from Tahiti where you’re preparing our next stop… Thank you! Your crazy idea worked!

A reduced team led by Morgane continued the collection further south during these trials, and at sunset, the area between our base camp and the reef pass is also completely clean. We turn our heads to the north, and under the last lights of the day, we discover a new landscape: certainly the most beautiful beach in the world stretches out before us. The waste that littered it just a few hours ago has all disappeared. The sand is of a dazzling white. Even the Bretons on the team, comparing it to their favorite beaches, agree that this sanctuary we have just cleaned with the strength of our own hands is truly a unique gem. A bit moved, very tired but truly happy, we gather the teams around a very comforting meal and a bottle of red wine that we share among 14, brought as a surprise by our cook Aodren and Simon, our chief engineer.