One team, many trades

Quality Craftsmanship

Quality materials and business expertise

In addition to the materials and components used, the training and experience of our craftsmen are the guarantee of the quality of the boats built in our Shipyard. What’s more, as every stage of the construction is carried out in-house, each element will fit perfectly into your boat.

With a total area of more than 10,000 m², of which 5,500 m² are under cover, ALUBAT CHANTIER NAVAL integrates all the phases of boat construction.

  • Your boat will take shape in the skilled hands of our metalworkers who master the shaping and assembly of every element of the boat. 
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  • This will be painted in one of the two paint booths in the workshop. No less than 20 steps have to be carried out in a heated and ventilated environment to apply the 9 coats of paint. 
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  • In the carpentry workshop, our craftsmen install your furniture, which will have been custom-made according to your wishes.
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  • Finally, all the technical components of your boat (electrics, plumbing, mechanical, hydraulics, optional equipment) will be installed by our technicians.
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  • The electronics are installed during the manufacturing process, at the yard itself, by teams from our subcontractors (and not afterwards) in order to guarantee optimal integration.

The ALUBAT shipyard perpetuates day after day its passion for tailor-made boats and its love of perfect work by adding new models, new designs and new services. 

« Designed for ‘blue water’ travellers but adapted to all  »

Our high level of requirement regarding the choice of our suppliers, the equipment for our boats and our working methods with our partners, is vital to reach optimum quality and reliability.  

We assist you and advise you on the equipment and options regarding your sailing programme in order to build your customized and adapted boat.  

This strategy enables us to monitor the full building process and quality control.

The talent of the best naval architects, such as Philippe Briand, Alain Mortain-Yannis Mavrikios or Marc Lombard, comes in addition to the expertise of ALUBAT’s design department.

Our companions share their daily life with you

World-renowned know-how

Our shipyard based in Les Sables d’Olonne, the Vendée Globe city, whose brands and know-how are internationally recognized, is constantly evolving thanks to a passionate, committed and highly qualified team. 

From the most experienced to the youngest with whom the transmission of know-how is underway, they deliver their daily life to you.

ALUBAT shipyard is moving forward, faithful to the same passion that has been motivating our designers and craftsmen of the hundreds of boats that have come out of our workshops and made ALUBAT’s international reputation as great as it is today. More than ever, ALUBAT is carrying on the essential values that made its success by putting the yard and the team at the service of the customers.

We continue to make the most reliable and long-lasting sailing boats that can be, perfectly adapted to your navigation project, may they be simple or more complex, short or long term.

Your ALUBAT boat will be as safe and comfortable in the marina as offshore and as pleasant to steer and live aboard in the tropics as in the frozen north.

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Testimony of Louison and Fabrice

It’s always quite surprising to see how the beginnings of your boat actually happen... The arrival of pre-cut aluminium plates on a pallet... From this initial, flat shape, our teams create curves and form around the framework structure. The know-how of our team lies in the assembly by spot welding.

The aluminium sheets that are 4 to 10 mm thick are brought together and welded to become a hull, deck, and finally a boat of incredible robustness.

The pink traces left by the dye penetrant tests show that the welds are watertight.

The hull is always assembled upside down, with the ballasted daggerboard being installed about 3 weeks after the beginning of construction, before being turned over to be completed with the deck and all the superstructures or options: gantry, arch, dog house, handrails, etc…

The metalworkers are in almost constant communication with the design office team, as certain options have a direct impact on the metalwork process and must be validated upstream with the customer.

It therefore takes an average of 10 weeks in the metal shop before this aluminium unit reaches the painting stage.

A crucial step for a perfect finish

Of course, OVNIs could be content to remain in raw aluminium. This is possible, but the final finish would not be the same. The meticulousness of the work lies in each step, no less than 20 of them ! And each marked by a drying time for good, long-term strength.

First of all, the inside of your boat is completely de-dusted by vacuuming.

Then, it is cleaned with hot (120°) high pressure water to be degreased. With ecological concerns, this water is recovered in tanks to be treated.

Some areas are masked up on the topsides, such as the hull, chainplates and cleats, and then the application phase of the painting cycle can begin.

A first coat of epoxy primer is applied on the deck, hull and interior up to waterline level.

All welding points such as handrails, stanchion feet etc. are coated and sanded to apply a second layer of epoxy primer.

Then the finishing primer is applied and sanded again for a smooth finish.

And finally, the application of 2 coats of polyurethane lacquer completes the painting procedure.

For the non-slip areas, masking tape is applied, then the paint is passed over by a lacquer roller followed by a sprinkling of glass microbeads. The drying time is 24 hours before vacuuming off the excess and applying a matting agent.

Before the hull is unsealed, Alubat's own “fish scale” polishing operation is protected by 2 coats of final varnish.

Your boat has therefore spent 4 full weeks in the paint booth, receiving a total of 9 coats of paint, before moving on to the assembly workshop.

The role of the carpenter

The joinery work on the new models is entirely designed using 3D modelling and is cut out digitally.

On older models and in the case of customisation or refit work, the joinery is made to order. Our carpenters are able to meet any request for customised fittings, whether for new builds or renovation work. A varnishing booth allows us to obtain a high level of finish.

Indeed, particular care is taken with our furniture because all areas are varnished.

After the construction of the furniture, the main role of the carpenters is the assembly and fitting of the furniture, the installation of the floors and the linings.

As a first step, they are responsible for the application of insulating foam.

Depending on the sailing programme envisaged, two types of insulation are available:

In all cases, it is important to know that aluminium is a highly temperature-conductive material and has the capacity to evacuate heat and regulate the internal temperature when in the water.

Grouping of different trades

As with house construction, boat assembly workshops bring together different trades : electricity - plumbing - electronics - hydraulics.

The shipyard pays particular attention to the electrical installation to avoid any electrolysis issues.

Indeed, the entire electrical network is bipolar and completely isolated from the hull with a high-quality electrical panel, professionally made by Sablais, who also work on military vessels.

All cable and pipe-runs are made at the very beginning of the interior fit-out.

Each through-hull water fitting is independent, with its own manual seacock.

For safety reasons, all skin fittings - inlets and outlets - are welded, there are no glued through-hulls.