"
And for lack of breeze, time stands still in the Marquesas ...
" He crossed the Atlantic then went up south towards the Pacific to reach Hiva-Oa.
This long-haul captain was called Jacques Brel and his proud sailboat the
Askoy II
.
Today, after many vicissitudes, this mythical boat has been restored and the Flemish minister, Matthias Diependaele, who understood the symbol it represents for Belgium, has decided to defend its inclusion in the heritage of the Plat Pays.
Read also: Relaunch Jacques Brel's sailboat, the crazy project of a Flemish sibling
In an interview with our colleagues from La
Libre Belgique
Matthias Diependaele explained why he wanted to classify this yawl of some sixty feet: “
This ship has historical, industrial, archaeological and socio-cultural value.
"
To read also: Michel Jonasz, Marianne Faithfull, Gauvain Sers sing the genius of Jacques Brel
This slapstick cutter rightfully belongs to the legend that surrounds the life of Jacques Brel.
The poet of the Flat Country bought the
Askoy II
in 1974 from Hugo Van Kuyck.
He wants to go around the world.
He will leave with Maddly, his partner, and France, his second daughter.
The latter leaves them in the West Indies but Brel decides to continue his adventure towards the Pacific.
It will stop in the Marquesas, exactly at Hiva-Oa.
Here nobody knows who he is.
He is happy.
He will write it down and sing it: "
Laughter is in the heart, the word in the eyes ...
".
Askoy II
, the cathedral of Jacques Brel
About ten years ago two sailing enthusiasts, the Staf brothers and Piet Wittevrongel decided to save
the Askoy II
, which had been languishing for a long time on a New Zealand beach. The boat is in a sorry state. After meticulous work on the frame, the bridge, and all the structures of the sailboat, the
Askoy II
today looks like the solid cutter that allowed Brel to reach his end of the world. The feat was superhuman. The
Askoy II
was designed to be sailed by three seasoned sailors. He inspired the great Jacques with one of his last masterpieces,
The Cathedral
: “
Take a cathedral, and give it a few poles.
A bowsprit, large holds for the shrouds and vangs.
Take a cathedral, high in the sky and wide in the belly, a cathedral stretched out with tinsel and mainsails ...
"
In words and songs, discover the recordings left by Jacques Brel in 1977, of
La Cathédrale
et des
Marquises
.
Jacques Brel Cathedral
in 1977
The Marquesas Islands
by Jacques Brel in 1977