Le drapeau noir flotte sur la marmite (1971)

Alexandre Volabruque, Antoine Simonet’s supervisor at the SNCF in Villeneuve-Saint-Georges, warmly congratulates his employee on building a matchstick model of a frigate, which has just won a prize at the railway workers’ art exhibition. But Volabruque, who is a man who sticks to his plans, now insists that Simonet build him a real boat for fishing for sea bream. He is fixated on the idea of spending his retirement in Dieppe aboard a Grondin, which would allow him to live off the proceeds of his fishing. Thinking of his career prospects, Simonet does not dare refuse, especially since Volabruque still has two years to go before retirement—and is not known for being gentle. Simonet has no choice but to call on Uncle Victor Ploubaz, an old sea dog who has sailed every ocean. Ploubaz moves in with Simonet after forcing Volabruque to give up on building his Grondin in favor of a sloop with a Marconi rig. The reason will become clear later. The sailboat is built in the family garden with the help of Simonet’s colleagues, who all get caught up in the project and soon talk of nothing but the sea and boats. Balloche, in particular, gives up his all-consuming passion for cycling and dreams only of waves and rigging. After a few weeks and several mishaps, the sailboat is finally ready. But the famous sea dog is not what people think, and the fate of the boat and Volabruque’s fishing trips is soon called into question…