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Ownership of the Despierres Shipyard has been transferred from the fisherman to the skipper, meaning that the wooden shipbuilding tradition lives on, greatly respecting materials, ancestral techniques, the sea and people, while also becoming more technologically and collectively innovative.
Fully embracing the legacy left by Despierres, Nicolas Chanteloup has brought a new lease of life to the yard, with his highly acclaimed restorations. He has left his mark and imbued the Despierres shipyard with his humanism, through his energy, conviction and generosity.
Ownership of the Despierres Shipyard has been transferred from the fisherman to the skipper, meaning that the wooden shipbuilding tradition lives on, greatly respecting materials, ancestral techniques, the sea and people, while also becoming more technologically and collectively innovative.
Fully embracing the legacy left by Despierres, Nicolas Chanteloup has brought a new lease of life to the yard, with his highly acclaimed restorations. He has left his mark and imbued the Despierres shipyard with his humanism, through his energy, conviction and generosity.
A seasoned campaigner whose wisdom brings joy to all. Olivier is an experienced marine carpenter, having worked on the famous Hermione for fifteen years. He has been sharing his technical expertise and knowledge with our crew since 2016.
Our secret weapon. Rodrigue is a marine carpenter, who, despite his youth, shows great maturity in his work. He puts his own spin of the words of his namesake, Cid: “To those born in the right conditions, value does not equate to the number of years.”
Our little Basque ray of sunshine. Capucine is a vastly experienced cabinetmaker and fitter, as well as a digital controls expert.
His heart is equally devoted to water and wood. Bastien holds a degree in Wood Construction and an Advanced Vocational Training Certificate (BTS) in Water Management and Control. After working in a hydraulic engineering office, he developed his skills in carpentry and joinery. Versatile and efficient, Bastien leads on all fronts.
A carpenter and fitter, who is always smiling, determined and thorough.
An administrative management assistant with the most infectious smile. Thanks to her vast experience in urban planning and excellent knowledge of our yard, Émilie is the linchpin of our company.
The machine whisperer. A CAD (computer-aided design) and digital machining technician, who is one of the crew’s “creators” and forever in good spirits.
A marine carpenter and the youngest member of our team, whose positivity is only rivalled by his motivation.
A demanding designer who wears two hats. Twice an apprentice at our yard, Caroline developed her woodworking skills through a vocational degree in Wood and Furniture and a degree in Industrial Design and Project Management.
Justine joined our team for a work-study placement as a sales and marketing development officer. She is a dynamic professional, who puts her heart and soul into developing DESPIERRES projects.
« People are the beating heart of DESPIERRES. We place great emphasis on taking care of each other. As I often say: “There is no harm in making your life easier.” We work in a field where both clients and carpenters are passionate about their work, with craftsmanship and heritage at the heart of everything. »
A seasoned campaigner whose wisdom brings joy to all. Olivier is an experienced marine carpenter, having worked on the famous Hermione for fifteen years. He has been sharing his technical expertise and knowledge with our crew since 2016.
Our secret weapon. Rodrigue is a marine carpenter, who, despite his youth, shows great maturity in his work. He puts his own spin of the words of his namesake, Cid: “To those born in the right conditions, value does not equate to the number of years.”
Our little Basque ray of sunshine. Capucine is a vastly experienced cabinetmaker and fitter, as well as a digital controls expert.
His heart is equally devoted to water and wood. Bastien holds a degree in Wood Construction and an Advanced Vocational Training Certificate (BTS) in Water Management and Control. After working in a hydraulic engineering office, he developed his skills in carpentry and joinery. Versatile and efficient, Bastien leads on all fronts.
A carpenter and fitter, who is always smiling, determined and thorough.
An administrative management assistant with the most infectious smile. Thanks to her vast experience in urban planning and excellent knowledge of our yard, Émilie is the linchpin of our company.
The machine whisperer. A CAD (computer-aided design) and digital machining technician, who is one of the crew’s “creators” and forever in good spirits.
A marine carpenter and the youngest member of our team, whose positivity is only rivalled by his motivation.
A demanding designer who wears two hats. Twice an apprentice at our yard, Caroline developed her woodworking skills through a vocational degree in Wood and Furniture and a degree in Industrial Design and Project Management.
Justine joined our team for a work-study placement as a sales and marketing development officer. She is a dynamic professional, who puts her heart and soul into developing DESPIERRES projects.
« People are the beating heart of DESPIERRES. We place great emphasis on taking care of each other. As I often say: “There is no harm in making your life easier.” We work in a field where both clients and carpenters are passionate about their work, with craftsmanship and heritage at the heart of everything. »
A seasoned campaigner whose wisdom brings joy to all. Olivier is an experienced marine carpenter, having worked on the famous Hermione for fifteen years. He has been sharing his technical expertise and knowledge with our crew since 2016.
Our secret weapon. Rodrigue is a marine carpenter, who, despite his youth, shows great maturity in his work. He puts his own spin of the words of his namesake, Cid: “To those born in the right conditions, value does not equate to the number of years.”
Our little Basque ray of sunshine. Capucine is a vastly experienced cabinetmaker and fitter, as well as a digital controls expert.
His heart is equally devoted to water and wood. Bastien holds a degree in Wood Construction and an Advanced Vocational Training Certificate (BTS) in Water Management and Control. After working in a hydraulic engineering office, he developed his skills in carpentry and joinery. Versatile and efficient, Bastien leads on all fronts.
A carpenter and fitter, who is always smiling, determined and thorough.
An administrative management assistant with the most infectious smile. Thanks to her vast experience in urban planning and excellent knowledge of our yard, Émilie is the linchpin of our company.
The machine whisperer. A CAD (computer-aided design) and digital machining technician, who is one of the crew’s “creators” and forever in good spirits.
A marine carpenter and the youngest member of our team, whose positivity is only rivalled by his motivation.
A demanding designer who wears two hats. Twice an apprentice at our yard, Caroline developed her woodworking skills through a vocational degree in Wood and Furniture and a degree in Industrial Design and Project Management.
Justine joined our team for a work-study placement as a sales and marketing development officer. She is a dynamic professional, who puts her heart and soul into developing DESPIERRES projects.
« People are the beating heart of DESPIERRES. We place great emphasis on taking care of each other. As I often say: “There is no harm in making your life easier.” We work in a field where both clients and carpenters are passionate about their work, with craftsmanship and heritage at the heart of everything. »
With over 5,000 berths spanning across an area of more than 70 hectares, La Rochelle’s marina is one of the largest in the world. In 2020, we managed to expand our shipyard without losing our place at the heart of this exceptional showcase of French nautical expertise, where port infrastructure, subcontractors, suppliers and maritime companies work together and build relationships on trust.
By expanding our shipyard (650 m2 area to a 1200 m2 area), our workshops have not only been able to welcome new employees, but also new tools – a new design office, investment in digitally controlled machines and a high-performance five-axis machining centre – in order to anchor marine tradition in modern-day life.
By expanding our shipyard (650 m2 area to a 1200 m2 area), our workshops have not only been able to welcome new employees, but also new tools – a new design office, investment in digitally controlled machines and a high-performance five-axis machining centre – in order to anchor marine tradition in modern-day life.
Since 1979, the Despierres shipyard has gained an excellent reputation across the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region for its traditional marine carpentry and joinery. After receiving the “Excellence of French Expertise” label (Excellence des savoir-faire français) in 2018, our yard became a French Living Heritage Company (Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant Français).
Just a stone’s throw away from Les Minimes Port and La Rochelle City Centre, our yard is the ideal meeting place for sea enthusiasts and traditional craftspeople.
That is why Nicolas Chanteloup has turned it into a co-working space, where we showcase and share our age-old expertise.
« As woodworking is becoming less and less common,
we must pass on this invaluable skill. »
Passing on our knowledge and passion for the sea, boats and woodworking is firmly rooted in our DNA! People from all backgrounds can join our crew: carpenters, cabinetmakers, students on work placements or apprenticeships, people re-training for new professions, etc. We are also working closely with regional authorities in Nouvelle Aquitaine to develop integration projects, such as the « CRAZY CUPID » (Le Cupidon Fou) rebuild project.
But our efforts do not just stop there; we are driving innovation by creating a shared workshop and co-working space. A first for a shipyard!
Carpenters, naval architects… All wood and sea enthusiasts are welcome to join our family ! Our co-working area at the Despierres shipyard offers shared spaces (offices, meeting rooms and workshops), shared tools and machines, and shared skills and experience, allowing everyone to draw inspiration from others’ ideas and innovations.
There is only one thing we ask of people who work at our yard (as long as we are not already at full capacity, of course): that they share our objectives and values:
> To preserve maritime heritage;
> To work with wood and develop arts and crafts;
> To be part of a local and sustainable environmentally responsible approach
30/32, rue Sénac de Meilhan
17000 LA ROCHELLE
Tél. : +33(0)5 46 50 52 66