Dubourdieu's White Ocean, a Modern Classic Picnic Cruiser

Louis Dubourdieu surveyed the land in front of him, clenching tightly the title he had just acquired. The location was perfect, close to a small inlet in the Bassin d'Arcachon. Now he could finally build his shipyard and design his boat of choice, la tillole, a flat-bottomed fishing boat with a low draft. The year was 1800, and the Dubourdieu Shipyard was born, quickly becoming one of the most important shipyards in the region.

One hundred years and four generations later, Emile Dubourdieu revitalized the Dubourdieu company by building the first gas-propelled boat. The style of boat was named pinasse, since many of the boats of that region were made of local pine. He also transformed the pinasse into an elegant cruiser, with polished mahogany and brass fittings.

By the 1920s, the Bassin d’Arcachon had become a summer destination for successful Bordeaux wine merchants and Parisian jet-setters, led by Jean Cocteau. Boating was the preferred activity because the water was too cold for swimming. The classic elegance of the pinasse, handcrafted from mahogany or teak, became the status symbol of the movie stars, adding to the success of the Dubourdieu name. The other contributing factor to their success was their creation of the first pinasse with a gas engine in 1922.

Fast-forward to the 1970s, where Jean-Pierre Dubourdieu created a modern interpretation of the pinasse, the Classic Express, with classic lines and stratified wood construction still evident in their current line.

In the year 2000, after six generations of Dubourdieu, the company was left without a successor. Emmanuel Martin, oenologue in the wine industry from Bassin d’Arachon, stepped in to save the Dubourdieu legacy with his wife Beatrice. With fresh ideas like the creation of their Greenboat-CAT® made of an aluminum shell and a hybrid thermo-electric motor, a passenger ferry for 45 passengers and 20 bikes, the Greenboat® sets an example for other boat manufacturers to follow.

Their innovative collaboration with the Corrèges Design House created a stunning modern interpretation of their classic pinasse with the White Ocean. White Ocean comes equipped with several modern design features: a translucent plexiglass table and polished stainless steel stand that can be adjusted to make room for a sundeck. The boat design stems from a classic New England picnic boat, but with a more sporty helm. A few modern amenities were added, like a toilet (head), electric heat, a fridge, hot water and an espresso maker. Even the Yanmar engine is state-of-the-art, made of aluminum, thus weighing 220 kilos less than a typical Volvo engine for boats of this size. To complete the package, Corrèges designed crew uniforms, bathrobes and towels with their signature White Ocean logo.