By Jean-Marc Gonin (text) and Olivier Coret (photos) for
Le Figaro Magazine
Resting on the black half-moon handles, Commander Garcia's hands tighten.
The officer is reluctant to push the sliders that unleash the power of the ship.
Commander Charcot sets
sail for the first time.
It slowly pulls away from the dock at the Tomrefjord shipyard in Norway.
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Despite several decades of experience, including 16 years at the helm of the buildings of the Ponant company, Étienne Garcia is tense.
From the gangway, he scans the obstacles: a dry dock and a barge moored on its side.
Although he had previously sailed with technicians from the Norwegian shipyard Aker - which built
Le Commandant Charcot
- it is the first time that he has operated it alone.
And the engineers on board told him that the power of the batteries would be enough for this first departure.
He is not reassured: he misses the familiar purring of machines.
On the bridge, the tension
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