All experiences Meetings

Didier Constans, captain of LA CARLINE boat tours

Can you introduce yourself?

Born in Embrun, I spent my early childhood in Les Puys in a family of 9 children. From our family home overlooking the valley, I could see the grandiose landscapes of Lac de Serre-Ponçon. My father worked on the construction of the dam, taking us there regularly to talk about it. His many anecdotes about the workers left an indelible mark on my memory. Nothing predestined me to become captain of the biggest boat on Lake Serre-Ponçon. A carpenter by trade, I found myself out of work during the building crisis of 1993. Meeting Roger Fontenay, the company's founder and owner of La Carline, which had been offering boat trips since 1985, opened up new horizons for me. This experience gave me the opportunity to get to know navigation. A relationship of trust was established, the captain bought a second boat and that's how I started out as a sailor on Lac de Serre-Ponçon in the summer, and as a seasonal worker at the Réallon resort in the winter. Once I'd obtained my boating license, Roger Fontenay took me through the captain's course, and I was able to take charge of the boat I bought in 2017.

Introduce us to your business? Tell us about the history of the promenade boat?

The Carline embarks 118 seated passengers for a 1.5-hour, non-stop cruise. The only boat to offer this cruise from Savines-le-Lac, the Carline circumnavigates La Chapelle-St-Michel, sails right up to the dam, skirts the Demoiselles coiffées and offers extraordinary views, quite different on board a boat from those offered by a car tour of the lake. The history of the lake, the construction of the dam and the creation of the Ecrins National Park are recounted, and the guide answers numerous questions about the depth of the lake, the fish that live there, hydroelectric production, the lake's distinctive color and, above all, about Chapelle-St-Michel, the last remaining testimony to the past that has not disappeared under the waters.

The crew is made up of the captain, the commentator and barkeeper, and the ship's boy, whose job it is to keep an eye on both decks, look after everyone's well-being, and manage safety, boarding and mooring.

The Carline was built in St-Gilles in the Gard region of France, and it's still the same boat that I drive. When she arrived in Savines-le-Lac in 1985, water sports activities were not as well-developed as they are today, and the locals didn't really believe in the craze that this boat could generate, yet she was a success right from the start! It has to be said that social tourism was already well established, and the boat's capacity meant it could accommodate groups. This was an opportunity for vacation centers to program a visit accessible to all types of public, combining discovery of the lake and its landscapes, with a history as exciting as the birth of a dam, drowned villages and two sunken valleys. It was only later that water sports activities began to diversify. At that time, the lake was divided between two pleasure boats, one on the Baie St-Michel/barrage/Ubaye side, which disappeared in 2017, and La Carline upstream to the Baie de Chanteloube.
Why did you choose Serre-Ponçon as the location for your business? What do you love most about your job?

It would have been difficult for me to leave this region I love so much for professional reasons, and I'm very grateful to Roger Fontenay for believing in me, passing on his know-how and trusting me. What's more, it was on the Carline that I met the woman who became my wife.

I haven't crossed the oceans, but I'm proud to be a boat captain on our mountain sea. The old sailors say that a boat has a soul. For me, the soul of La Carline lies in what I feel when I sail aboard her, in the happiness I feel when passengers, young and old, leave the boat, delighted to have shared this moment of relaxation during which they have learned a multitude of things about the history of the lake. Their smiles are a token of satisfaction, and some people even come back several times during their stay!

What's your favorite spot on Lac de Serre Ponçon?

I love the lake in its entirety, and at every turn, a wild cove appears, here a breathtaking viewpoint, and further on, other vistas open up: the dolomitic Aiguilles de Chabrières, the Piolit... and on the way back to the port, the majestic Pic de Morgon!

As the seasons change, so do the landscapes, and as the hours pass, so do the interplay of light and shadow. This South Sea blue, due to suspended microparticles and the reflection of the sky, also contributes to my fascination with Lac de Serre-Ponçon.

At the end of the day, alone on the moored boat, I sometimes take the time to enjoy the magnificent sunsets over the lake.

Chapelle Saint-Michel on Lac de Serre-Ponçon, ©Rémi Fabrègue

Do you have a little anecdote to tell us about your boat trips?

During the trip, as we return to Savines-le-Lac, I spot one of the passengers whom I think will be pleased by my invitation. I put on his captain's hat and give him the helm, giving his family and friends the chance to take a souvenir photo. It's amusing and gratifying to discover that this experience has left its mark on some of our "captains for a day", as evidenced by the snapshot, taken several years ago, that they show me as they introduce their children or grandchildren to the mini-cruise. Some time ago, I chose a gentleman who, I found out afterwards, was 102 years old and boarding a boat for the first time in his life. Standing tall, he was happy and moved to take the captain's seat... I'll always remember that.