Meet Monique, the HEN who is sailing around the world

For the last two years, 24-year-old French sailor Guirec Soudee has been travelling the world with a red hen called Monique.

It hasn’t all been plain sailing. Sometimes, Guirec gets a little tired of Monique’s sh*t. Literally.

However, he does always have a handy supply of eggs on board.

Since he was a young man growing up in Brittany, Guirec dreamt of buying a sailboat and taking it round the world.

We’re not sure what Monique the hen dreamt of because, well, she’s a chicken.
Guirec got the idea of taking Monique on his travels as a constant food source (for her eggs – don’t worry, he doesn’t end up eating Monique at sea).
Monique didn’t take long to get her sea legs – Guirec says she’s never suffered from sea sickness  – and in May 2014, the unlikely duo sailed across the Atlantic to St. Barts together.

They made the journey in 28 days and, in that time, Monique laid an impressive 25 eggs.
During their time in the Caribbean, Monique learnt to swim, paddle and surf, while Guirec earnt some money at a windsurfing club.
But, eventually, Guirec and his chicken grew tired of all that tropical weather and decided it was time to cast off again. In June 2015, they set sail for Greenland, arriving two months later.
They spent the late summer and autumn exploring the west coast of Greenland – Monique, as the first hen to visit Greenland, was an instant hit.

Since November 2015, Guirec and Monique have been living in a fjord in north west Greenland to prove that it’s possible to survive away from modern conveniences – with just an onboard supply of rice and pasta and fresh eggs (for Guirec) and grains and seeds (for Monique) to survive.
Now the ice has finally melted, the duo plan to continue their journey round the world. Guirec is also writing a series of children’s books about his travels with Monique. The first of the series – The Transatlantic Voyage of Monique – is set for release in France this summer.
Guirec hopes his stories will encourage young people to get out, experience the world, and live their dreams.

Because no one should be too chicken to get out there and explore.

You can follow Guirec’s travels with his chicken on their Voyage D’Yvinec blog or their Facebook page.