Our historyThough still a young company, Ocea started out with a solid foundation and quickly focused on specialised expertise. We prioritised efficient growth, and now boast cutting edge production facilities.
OCEA dropped anchor in 1987 in Les Sables d’Olonne when Roland Joassard and Fabrice Epaud bought the Pouvreau shipyard, which was founded in 1934. Over the next decade, the company strengthened its shipbuilding business. In 1990, it acquired Union & Travail, another historic shipyard in Les Sables-d’Olonne founded in 1917. Five years later, Ocea acquired Le Bastion shipyards. In 1996, Ocea opened a second site in Saint-Nazaire specialising in the construction of high-speed vessels. The company bought a third site in 1999 in Fontenay-le-Comte, this time designated for hull manufacturing.
In 2000, Ocea expanded internationally by acquiring Guadeloupe-based Travaux Industriels Guadeloupéen (TIG).
The 2009 acquisition of the Gamelin shipyard, specialising in the construction of aluminium passenger vessels, gave Ocea a fourth site in La Rochelle. In 2012, Ocea completely renovated the production facility in Les Sables-d’Olonne, an upgrade that makes it possible to accommodate units up to 90 meters.
In 2000, a seasoned shipowner and his naval architects Michel Joubert and Bernard Nivelt were looking to build a yacht capable of sailing to far-off destinations over long periods. They naturally turned to shipyards specialised in reliable, well-made professional boats, and chose to entrust Ocea with the project.
It was from this meeting that the 30-metre OCEA Classic known as Espiritu Santo, was born, delivered in 2002… and how OCEA Yachts, OCEA’s division specifically dedicated to motor yachts, came about.
Since then, OCEA Yachts has delivered eight other motor yachts: