Par Murielle Bouchard
Published on 7 Aug 22 at 11:25
–
–
–
Fabrice Leleu is known as the white wolf in the neighborhood of fishing port from Havre (Seine-Maritime). In Saint-François, it’s not easy to go unnoticed. “If you do an article on him, you have to highlight it, asks Jean-Christophe with a smile, barely disembarked from his boat. The Leleu family here, we all know: his father a fisherman, his mother who sold fish and then him, a great sailor. »
For 30 years, he hid his illness to stay on the boats
The son of a fisherman, Fabrice has never had any other dreams than that of following his father’s example, president for a time of the union of fishermen sailors you Havre.
At school, I was a dunce, what I wanted from a very young age was to do like my father. Embark on a boat. I never imagined doing another job, I was always hanging out on the pontoon, I didn’t listen to the teachers, my head was at sea.
At 16, Fabrice Leleu left school and boarded his first canoe as a cabin boy. For 30 years, he went to sea in all weathers, leaving from Le Havre or Antifer aboard various boats, the Jacques Céline, the Béluga, the Tethys, the Lorine, the Étoile. Fileyeur, cassiller, troller, the sailor brought in ray, cod or conger eel.
The good life until she was 45… “I had diabetes. I was diagnosed with it when I was 14. So I was not allowed to work on a boat normally. “Passion is stronger than anything, so Fabrice “cheated during the medical visits that took place at that time every six months”. A family member urinates for him to take the test without being caught. “Of course some of my bosses knew that, but that never stopped me from doing anything on board. But at 45, that’s one visit too many.
“The nurse asked me if I was diabetic, I answered yes, that time I was confident, I thought maybe after 30 years, I was at no risk”, explains Fabrice. Except that the lie is immediately sanctioned.
A void filled by photography
Fabrice no longer has the right to exercise and then begins a difficult period. “I was advised to buy a pleasure boat and fish alone, frankly it didn’t make sense… If I was too sick to be a fisherman, I didn’t see how I could go out to sea alone. Fishmongers have never been my thing either…”
After taking care of his mother for three years, who finally died of cancer, Fabrice falls into depression. “I always continued to come for a walk where we went with my mother to see the sunset at Sainte-Adresse. “One day, Fabrice takes a picture “and since as soon as the weather allows it in the evening I go to see the sun go down and I take pictures. »
It is through photography that Fabrice will regain a taste for life, but not only. Seven years ago, he was contacted by Martine, the administrator of the page Facebook My Saint Francis.
IN IMAGES, IN PICTURES. Photos of the fishing port or the sunset
“I encountered a tornado”
“I had spotted his photos and I liked them,” explains Martine. So I asked him if I could use them. During one of Fabrice’s walks, Martine took the plunge and the two have never left each other since.
Martine is a tornado, she loves the Saint François district, the world of the sea, that of fishing, she encourages me to take more photos and videos too which she then puts on her page. It’s great for people in the neighborhood.
A new boat in the fishing port, the arrival day and night of sailors, the sale, Fabrice and Martine photograph everything. The fisherman, now retired and who has never been back on a boat, affirms: “It’s a new way of living my passion. »
Was this article helpful to you? Note that you can follow 76actu in the My News space. In one click, after registration, you will find all the news of your favorite cities and brands.
–
