Navigator, builder, trainer: Marc Vuilliomenet, master craftsman marine carpenter, has never stopped perfecting his art. As a teenager, he chose the path of shipbuilding, driven by passion and tenacity. After a single-handed Atlantic crossing, he founded the MV-Boat shipyard. Relying on tried-and-tested techniques such as molded wood, he has evolved his approach to incorporate contemporary demands for durability and innovation. In this interview, he looks back on his career, his construction choices and his commitment to passing on naval know-how. Meet a man for whom varnished wood is a signature, and durability a requirement.
You qualified as a marine carpenter in Switzerland in 1981. What led you to this profession, and how has your initial training influenced your current approach to shipbuilding?
When, at the age of 16, "school" announces that an advisor is coming to interview you and guide you through the professional world that awaits you, doubts start to creep in... MCQs, interviews and multiple-choice cards follow one another, and at the end of the day, a flesh-and-blood algorithm tells you: I don't know what to tell you, because building boats and driving a tractor, as you put it, is not a program for your professional future... Year of grace 1977!
However, a work placement convinced me of the right direction: dust, soot and the cleaning of a workshop ravaged by flames 48 hours before the start of the placement convinced me to look beyond first impressions. I was right to do so, for Chantier Naval LUTHI, on the shores of Lake Geneva, has risen from the ashes to resume building magnificent wooden boats. Glulam, or molded wood for the purists, and the boss offered me an apprenticeship.
Boat building during the week and racing at the weekend. From the Swiss Championship to the Bol d'Or (future Mirabaud), via local regattas, there's plenty to teach you about building strong yet light.
Having sailed on Lake Geneva, the English Channel, the Mediterranean and even crossed the Atlantic solo in 1988, how have these sailing experiences enriched your understanding of sailors' needs and influenced the design of your boats?
With a professional diploma in my pocket, and a glowing endorsement, my curiosity about what happens after the wave still drives me to find out if salt water really is salt water, and from the Tour de France voile to Mediterranean regattas, it appears that, all things considered, it floats too!
A 6m JI, built in 1934 by the Costantini brothers, in La Trinité sur Mer, catches my eye and seals the freshwater sailor's fate for the next ten years. Leaving Le Havre, discovering currents, tides and other basins completed my in situ training and, from out-of-date nautical charts to inconsequential groundings and wild re-masting after a soporific Canal du Midi, the boat docked in the Mediterranean to be adapted somewhat to the dreams of the young sailor. The design of a cockpit adapted to more distant horizons, a complete overhaul of the planking and rigging, the adaptation of second-hand sails as a new wardrobe (the on-board body being as porous as the caulking) and the young sailor feels drawn to Gibraltar and the trade winds. The sextant and the manual bilge pump were of great interest to him during his 8-year solo voyage, culminating in Martinique.
In 1988, you founded MV-Boat in Saint-Raphaël. What were your initial ambitions for the shipyard, and how have they evolved over the years?
It's too hard to go back to the land, to get used to orders and schedules, so I set up on my own and opened the doors of my shipyard, a van!
Ambition and demand did the rest, so I invested in a plot of land and built the workshop in which I dreamed of practicing my trade, building wooden boats. Since the workshop is located in St Raphaël (Var), I have to offer local boats, i.e. Pointus, Barquettes and other definitions of a boat model originally used for work, but now in vogue, from Marseille to Monaco. Motor, sail, cabin, all variations are built, as well as other models of sailboats, motorboats or simply rowing boats, with a signature specific to the Shipyard: varnished mahogany. Only the kayak is missing, but we'll come back to that later.
You've made varnished mahogany a signature of your work. How do you choose your woods today, and what place do you give to sustainability in your construction processes?
The best sipo and sapelli from Gabon are offered to me by importers for the construction needs, from the keel to the mast foot, because it is necessary for a construction to last at least as long as a tree to reach maturity. The use of epoxy for vacuum bonding (as for composite infusion), and the best varnishes and paints (STOPPANI) for cosmetics, ensure that owners are at the helm of a solid, lightweight, durable and yet unique unit.
You seem to prefer molded wood or glued cross-ply construction, using templates. What appeals to you about this method? Is it a way for you to reconcile traditional craftsmanship with contemporary demands for performance and durability?
Since 1977, molded-wood construction has been my day-to-day business, and today it's clear that this technique offers excellent compromises between strength, weight, durability and performance. In order to adapt to the demands of owners and to continue with artisanal production, moulded construction has given way to strip planking, covered with one, two or three plies of 3-mm thick mahogany, depending on the desired result, like the kayak, but we'll come back to that later...
Among your creations, the "La Clémente" model boat stands out for its classic lines and 10 coats of varnish. What were the inspirations behind this design, and did you encounter any technical difficulties during its construction?
In 2021, the relocation of the shipyard to the southwest of France led to the need to pass on know-how. The idea of a new model is born, proposing a boat with old-fashioned lines, yet built using today's techniques. la Clémente" was born, inspired by Lake Geneva workboats such as "La Vaudoise", "La Neptune" and "L'Espérance" on Lake Annecy. The challenges of a project of contrasting shapes, over a length of just 5 metres, that only moulded wood can meet. The multiple coats of varnish are there to highlight these lines and the expertise required to create them.
You have also developed the "Classic Power", an electric runabout combining traditional molded wood with a modern electric motor. How have you managed to preserve the aesthetics and craftsmanship of the boat while integrating innovative, environmentally-friendly technologies such as GEL batteries?
When the CEA (Commissariat à l'énergie atomique) in Grenoble offered me a partnership to present the concept of clean mobility linking hydrogen, electric motors and pleasure boating, the "CLASSIC POWER" innovation took on its full meaning. And although fuel cells (PAC) and lithium are scary in 2011, pioneers are there to demonstrate that it's possible. What's needed is a sturdy, lightweight boat that doesn't overdo it on fossil fuels, and offers a day out on an electrically-powered boat. The first version of the ''CLASSIC POWER'' was born, with GEL batteries to start with, and opened the door to a multitude of proposals for rental boats without a license, passenger transport, ferries and other aquatic developments, equipped with lithium today. More space on board, fewer harmful emissions, while retaining the timeless lines of classic boats.
In parallel with your shipbuilding activity, you have developed Le Clos du Gaja, a place to stay surrounded by a private lake and an exceptional natural setting. How does this environment influence your work as a shipwright? And how do you help visitors discover naval craftsmanship and wood construction?
The move of the shipyard to the Gers is also part of an initiative to promote the "sea trades", even in freshwater territories, thus offering secondary schools throughout Occitanie training in administrative (maritime affairs, customs), manual (sailing, wood, saddlery, mechanics, painting, electricity, electronics) and technical (architecture, legislation, homologation, marketing) trades to as many young people as possible. BIMER is an example I'm very attached to, by training the teachers who then pass on the knowledge to schoolchildren.
At the same time, I offer introductory courses in moulded wood construction in the workshop, such as tracing the shapes of a canoe, making the mould and building the boat - in varnished mahogany, of course! Two days to a week, to explore and learn about the different phases that await the future apprentice, but also the amateur builder or simply those interested in the different reasons why a boat floats, or not...
That's why the MV-Boat Shipyard is located on a 7-hectare estate next to our private lake, designed to test and validate our constructions, and to offer our customers our Chambres d'Hôtes, seminars, weddings and other events in a setting that's both rural and seaside.
With your years of experience behind you, how do you see the marine carpentry trade evolving, and what advice would you give to a young craftsman wishing to start out in wooden shipbuilding?
While the academic and technical training offered by public courses is of a very high standard, most of these courses lack an in-depth knowledge of the how and why. Being the best in one discipline is only useful at that point in the chain, whereas historical and technical knowledge, even if only partial, of the entire chain will obviously be an advantage for future players in the nautical and maritime sectors in general. The Métiers d'Art, of which I am a part, get involved and involve every player, from the original idea to the handover of the keys to the boat.
What are your future plans for MV-Boat?
It's no longer enough just to build, we also need to offer the younger generation the opportunity to acquire these skills, and communication, like your platform, is a major player in the transmission of knowledge. For my part, I offer boats that are human-sized, transportable and durable, and that meet the quality requirements of "Designed and Built in France". The Canoë 3.7 is one such example.
I would add, with conviction and a touch of humor, that today's algorithms are nothing more than a pale emanation of the flesh-and-blood algorithms of the 70s and 80s, which simply told you to follow your instincts and passions, without counting the hours. If you want to be a carpenter or whatever, be one, and you'll be rich in values other than those that dominate today. Here's an example: after this morning's canoe varnish, this afternoon I serviced the estate with the tractor I mentioned in the preamble...
