Mixing passion and professional activity
Samuel and Nicolas Année are brothers, and the fourth generation of heirs of the family sawmill in Saint-Martin-sur-Oust, at the foot of the Nantes-Brest canal. After 18 years of selling wood online and making vegetable garden beds, decks and other wooden objects, they decided to dedicate a branch of their company to their passion, river navigation.
Samuel Year explains: "We had bought a boat on the Loire together. But we both wanted to spend as much time on it as possible. So I decided to build a boat that would serve as my home. It is a replica of a toue cabanée, the boat we owned."
Samuel first built his new "house" with a length of 17 m and then a second model of 13 m, to get used to it. For his first try, he spent a year and a half there. But even if he had to live in Morbihan, he might as well build traditional boats from the region. It was on the advice of the Voies Navigables de France that Samuel went to the ecomuseum in Rennes.
He discovered engravings from the 1830s and 1840s and plans of traditional Breton river boats called Penettes. The last construction dates from the 1960s.
Reproduce a fleet of traditional Breton river boats
He then decided to build this river model, entirely out of wood, which he declined in several sizes and several models.
Samuel explains: "It is a small authentic boat for the day or to spend a night. Its flat bottom ensures its stability. For the motorization, we are distributor of the ePropulsion brand and we chose a 3000 watts motor, about 6 horses. The Pénette is built with several species of local wood: Douglas fir, maritime pine and oak and without any chemical treatment. Insulation is provided by cork panels."
A small authentic boat
Inside, the authenticity is well present! The large front deck gives access to the wheelhouse with large windows. There is a small steering position, a bench seat convertible into a bed, a kitchenette, an icebox and a dry toilet. The layout is sufficient for a trip along the canals, which can extend to a romantic weekend for two.
Rental bases to individual owners
500 hours are necessary for the construction of a unit, sold thereafter 46 000 euros HT. The penette is mainly sold in rental bases, but also in communities and even as an unusual habitat without engine. Bretagne Bateaux Bois, a rental base in Malestroit, also operates a fleet. The purchase of a boat is also possible.
For the moment, the Année brothers have limited themselves to building these 5-meter-long boats, but they also offer custom construction from 4 to 20 meters. Although they have tried to adapt their concept to a steel hull, they have preferred to keep their knowledge of wood.
