Brittany is a land of traditions! We build wooden boats on the model of old boats. The Chantier Bretagne Bateaux Bois has made a specialty of these simple but efficient units. Let's go to Saint-Congard on the banks of the river Oust, to meet these men who transform trees into boats!
From the trees to the boards!
The Année sawmill was founded in 1932. Four generations later, the founder's great-grandsons run a company that has prospered. In order to adapt to market changes, the sawmill has chosen to offer new products: flower boxes, square vegetable gardens, pergolas, garden sheds and now boats. The company only works with local wood, in particular maritime pine and Douglas fir.
Traditional drawings
It was on board a small fishing boat that Nicolas Année discovered boating. A discovery that turned into a passion, fueled by the reading of Jacques Guillet's beautiful book on the Breton barge industry. He found there the plans of the penettes and bumpy. Seduced by these traditional boats, perfectly adapted to their environment and to the rustic construction method, Nicolas Year understands that he has with the sawmill the best possible source of materials.
A series of cabana tows
A first boat was built, a rather rough boat, then others followed, much more elegant. Covered models for day trips, but also a 10-meter long and 2.90-meter wide cabane toue de Loire. Bitten by the bug, Samuel, the younger brother, built a 13 meter by 3.60 meter tug to make it his home. A cahotier a 17 m cabin follows, then a whole fleet of boats for daily rental.
A local tradition
Everything is rustic, from the structure to the finishes. The planks are made of softwood on an oak frame. The stainless steel screwed cladding is made of Douglas fir on a vapour barrier. The insulation is made of cork, while the roof is waterproofed with a rubber sheet made from recycled tires. To remain faithful to local woods, the plywood panels of the interior partitions are made of poplar and not okoume.
The simplicity of the short circuit
Visiting the site, one is struck by the simplicity of the technical choices, which go as far as avoiding all superfluous hardware. For example, the doors slide in a groove rather than on a track. Simple does not mean cheap: all the deck fittings are in stainless steel and the profile of the exterior wood is rounded to prevent water from stagnating. Inside, the water and electricity circuits are minimalist. The heating is entrusted to a wood stove and the sanitary part consists of dry toilets. For these uses, wood chips and wood scraps are not lacking!
A trapper's cabin on the water!
The Year brothers have built a series of cabanet penettes on a hull of only 4,90 m by 2,40 m, ideal to settle down in the heart of the reeds of the Mortier de Glénac, the time of a photo hunt or an evening far from civilization. A sort of floating trapper's hut as basic as it is brilliant! The beautiful front deck opens on a rustic and warm interior. Two benches made of wooden slats carry the mattresses. The table is a wooden log, the kitchen cabinet is made of 2 lockers and a portable stove completes the wood stove.
The choice of electric
The propulsion is of course electric and the 4 batteries of 170 Ah in 24 Volts offer an autonomy of 11 hours at cruising speed and 6 hours using full power. A choice also made for rental boats. The boat is perfectly adapted to its program, which is to offer a soft and respectful mode of navigation of the environment.
The Year brothers' boats are built individually, often for private use. They have a workshop at the water's edge, all the materials they need and the know-how to make them. If you are passing by, take the time to stop and breathe in the scent of resinous trees on the banks of the Oust. The wood for your future floating roof may already be drying on the sawmill's grounds!
