DUBOURDIEU

It was in 1800 that a young carpenter named Louis Dubourdieu founded a construction site for “tilloles”, an old word for rowing fishing boats. The first account book did not begin until July 1885, so all that remains of the 19th century construction site is the necessarily imperfect memory transmitted by oral tradition and a few plans.

The latter do not bear any mention of size, but there were at least two models of "tilloles", the "Petite" and the "Grande". These rowing fishing boats were already built individually according to the specific requests of each "patron". Around 1890, the "Tilloles" appear in the account book with a complete rigging. The Dubourdieu shipyard therefore built a few sailing boats, but over a very short period. Three generations, in direct descent, crossed the century at the helm of a shipyard with a growing reputation, from which between 12 and 16 boats emerged each year.

At the dawn of the 20th century, Emile Dubourdieu, the 4th of the name, propelled the shipyard into the industrial revolution by building the first oil boats. It was around 1900 that the name "pinasse" appeared, the origin of which is controversial. For some, it comes from the pine, a wood often used in their manufacture.

For others, it comes from the "pinasse" right collected by the lords of Testerin on all fishing carried out on the basin, and abolished at the end of the 18th century by royal decree. In any case, it was around this date that the Dubourdieu shipyard's account books mention oil "pinasses". The name "Tillole" 1920 survived until the First World War, only used for orders from local customers. In 1918, the French Navy placed its first orders with the shipyard, which delivered 6 landing craft between 8 and 11 meters. Oil units, work boats, fishing boats or oyster boats, always custom-built, will be “exported” to Brittany, and their size can reach 16 meters. The Dubourdieu shipyard has therefore found a new outlet and manufactures pinnaces, sardine boats and trawlers which during the interwar period will be sold throughout France.

At the beginning of the Roaring Twenties, the Arcachon Basin became a highly sought-after holiday resort. Gabrielle d'Annunzio rubbed shoulders with Jean Cocteau there, and the wealthy Bordeaux merchants had "follies" built in the Winter Town. Since entertainment was rare and sea bathing was somewhat chilly,

These tourists ahead of their time turned to the sea and discovered the joys of sailing. At the request of this special clientele, the Dubourdieu shipyard, which became “Emile Dubourdieu et fils”, would develop its work pinnace into a little pleasure jewel: precious varnished wood, polished copper and brass, oil engines from 1909, then gasoline from 1922, up to the transmission which, with a rack and pinion for oyster farming, switched to a direct shaft line (with a “heel”) for pleasure. These “Monsieur’s pinnaces” were piloted by sailors from the Arcachon Basin, small fishermen who hired themselves out for a season. Very fine picnics were organized, with the gentlemen in boaters and the ladies in light linen dresses. Dubourdieu became the specialist in automobile pinnaces.

In 1930, the gasoline engine reigned supreme, and several manufacturers from the Bassin invented the marine engine: Chevillet, Castelnau, Couach, were on the way to becoming big names in recreational motorboating.
From then on, the share of recreational boats in the shipyard's production slowly became more and more important, to be the majority by the 1950s. In 1931, Emile retired, leaving the shipyard to his sons, Guillaume and Pierre. The shipyard would henceforth be called "Dubourdieu Frères". In 1947, Pierre's son, Jean-Pierre, did his apprenticeship at the shipyard. He took over the business with his father when Guillaume retired in 1961, and began to design the models.

It is to Jean-Pierre that the current pinasses owe their elegant lines. Sole master on board since 1974, it was still Jean-Pierre who “invented” in 1981 the “Classic Express”, pinasses of the new generation, classic lines and modern construction in laminated wood.

From 1981 to 1999, around fifteen of its Classic Expresses were launched, as well as custom creations for an increasingly prestigious clientele, including Philippe Starck.

After 6 generations of Dubourdieu, the shipyard found itself without a successor. The adventure could have ended there. But letting such know-how die was inconceivable. It would have jeopardized the survival of a heritage, a profession, a unique breed of boats. Emmanuel and Béatrice Martin, 65 years old between them, took up the challenge and bought the shipyard in September 2000.

Now “Dubourdieu 1800”, the company is modernizing and internationalizing its sales, driven by the craze for boats with character, brought up to date by the Italians, and yet manufactured for over 200 years in Gujan-Mestras! A

trained oenologist, holder of a Master's in Management, bilingual, Emmanuel Martin is a local boy. Born and raised on the Arcachon Bay, he tasted the pleasures of sailing very early on, practicing Windsurfing in high-level competition. Passionate about vintage cars, car restoration occupied his leisure time to the point that he considered devoting himself to it fully for a while. However, his beginnings in oenology led him to manage wine estates on behalf of a large financial group, where he brilliantly practiced the delicate marriage of ancestral skills with cutting-edge technologies. Indeed, the breeding of a great vintage requires the same requirements as the construction of a good ship: taking into account the constraints of nature and sublimating them with the hand of man. The desire to be master of one's destiny, the passion for beautiful work and perhaps the nostalgia for the extraordinary quality of life in this corner of the ocean set in its blond dunes got the better of the orderly life of this young senior executive.

Béatrice, his wife, divided her time between running a travel agency specializing in the tailor-made design of high-end trips and raising two young children. An accomplished sportswoman and team leader, she wanted to design custom-made products that were just as prestigious but more tangible. Their paths crossed that of Jean-Pierre Dubourdieu, who was selling his business at over 70 years old, and their combined experiences in management, creation and technology convinced him: pinasses will not die, they will experience a new life.

Since the acquisition in 2000 by the Martin couple, the shipyard has maintained its level of excellence. Many units with exceptional finishes have been manufactured in the Port de Larros workshop.

As proof of this success, the DUBOURDIEU shipyard was awarded the EPV (Living Heritage Company) label in December 2011, a symbol of French excellence and its unique know-how.

A quality justified by the renewal of the label in 2017.

An innovative year with the launch of boats as original as they are exceptional: the Greenboat®, the Greenboat-Cat® Batcub, Bordeaux's first river shuttle and the splendid luxury Pinasse Africa Queen.

The years go by and the boat models evolve thanks to our customers and our partners:
– the wonderful partnership with the Courrèges fashion house
– the manufacture of the superb Picnic Open 15M for the south of Corsica
– the Picnic Cabin 10M for Lake Constance
– the departure of second-hand Dubourdieu boats for Cadaqués in Spain and the island of Minorca in the Balearic Islands

A story that goes on forever…