Ocqueteau, a spirit and a history

Ocqueteau was born in Oléron more than sixty years ago, at the hands of a naval carpenter named Guy Ocqueteau. Nothing happened by chance.

Oléron is a stern yet bold land, always urged on by a spirit of valiance and liberty.

Boldness was required to establish as early as the Middle Ages a real Water Code, the famous “Oléron Rôles”. These Sea edicts drafted on rolled up scrolls were adopted by all naval forces throughout Europe. The same spirit of boldness was necessary to create a Charter of the Commons in the Middle Ages, granting the island dwellers the right to elect a Mayor. And indeed, boldness motivated the city when it later dared oppose the King of France.

A spirit of valiance is similarly necessary to make traditions alive: a tradition of oyster-farming, a unique and slow-paced expertise;  a tradition of shipbuilding inherited from the Normans coming from the Great North and English navigators, a legacy from a strong regional tradition of transporting barrels of Cognac  on majestic barges down the Charente River.

A spirit of liberty is required to make these traditions endure as values, surviving times and fleeting fashions.

Ocqueteau was born on these lands permeated with this spirit.

Sixty years of life and Ocqueteau still displays the same enduring spirit of independence. Several times in the past, however, Ocqueteau had to join forces with bigger companies, Luchaire first and then Jeanneau later.  The constraints of mass production did not suit Ocqueteau, which regained its independence in 1995 and has remained independent ever since.

Ocqueteau draws its stamina from its independence as it solely builds ships on the Oléron site ,  in its concern to guaranty maximum safety and strength. The great tradition of shipbuilding is secured, never tampered with or distorted with the needs of mass production. It is kept alive by valiant craftsmen solely dedicated to their art.

Ocqueteau is keen to entertain tradition and yet has known how to adapt to new needs and demands on the part of its clients. Its research department and naval architect dedicate all their efforts to meeting their clients ‘expectations.

 

The sea is an endless source of entertainment.  It is also a source of danger: Ocqueteau builds sport boats for you and your safety.

 

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We haven't invented the sea, just the lifestyle that goes with it...