OCEA Shipbuilding
The ocean is a great place to explore, but to enjoy it to the fullest, you need calm confidence based on experience, technical expertise and attention to detail, combined with a love for the sea. These are qualities that the Ocea shipyard has built up over the years.
Over
35
years' experience in aluminium
Over
500
talents
Over
40
naval architects
Working in
3
in-house design offices
Over
350
ships delivered
A fleet of
10
yachts at sea
4
production sites in France
Over
33,000
m2 of workshops
OCEA Yachts history
OCEA started out with a solid foundation and quickly focused on specialised expertise. We prioritised efficient growth, and now boast cutting edge production facilities.
1987
Roland Joassard and Fabrice Epaud buy the Pouvreau shipyard, which was founded in 1934.
In 1990, OCEA grows further by acquiring Union & Travail, another historic shipyard in Les Sables-d'Olonne founded in 1917, then the Le Bastion shipyards in 1995.
1996
The company opens a second site in Saint-Nazaire specialising in the construction of high-speed vessels. It buys a third site in 1999 in Fontenay-le-Comte, this time designated for hull manufacturing.
2000
A seasoned shipowner and his naval architects Michel Joubert and Bernard Nivelt entrust OCEA with the construction of a yacht capable of long transoceanic cruises. It is from this meeting that the 30-metre OCEA Classic Espiritu Santo was born... and how OCEA Yachts, OCEA’s division specifically dedicated to motor yachts, came about.
2003
With Okeanis, OCEA inaugurates the saga of the Commuters, directly inspired by the elegant New York yachts of the early 20th century.
2012
OCEA is completely renovating the production facility in Les Sables-d'Olonne, an upgrade that makes it possible to accommodate units up to 90 meters.
2019
OCEA launches the OPV 270 Gabriela Silang, the world's largest aluminium patrol vessel, 84 metres long.
2023
Launch of Araok II, a 32-metre Commuter, the tenth yacht built by OCEA.
Building boats and more
A pioneer in aluminium shipbuilding, the OCEA shipyard has expanded activities to other areas of industrial manufacturing based on our core expertise. It comprises two distinct entities, OCEA Shipbuilding and OCEA Industries, and four production sites.
Our production sites
We harness our expertise along the Atlantic Ocean, within the hub of the world’s leading shipbuilding expertise: the starting point of the renowned Vendée Globe transoceanic race, the origin of the globe’s largest cruise ships, and France’s largest yachting harbour.
OCEA Les Sables-d'Olonne
OCEA Fontenay-le-Comte
OCEA Saint-Nazaire
OCEA La Rochelle