Henaff Shipyard

What Henaff Shipyard does

Chantier Naval Hénaff (legal entity: SASU Chantier Naval Hénaff) is a family-owned boat building and repair shipyard founded in 1928 in Le Guilvinec, Finistère, France — the largest fishing port in France. The company operates across two core service lines: (1) construction, refit, and repair of wooden fishing vessels including trawlers, purse seiners (bolincheurs), crab/lobster boats (caseyeurs), netters, line fishers, and seaweed harvesters (goémoniers) ranging from 7m to 20m; and (2) construction and restoration of pleasure boats including canots, voile-aviron, yoles, and Grand Banks-style yachts. The company also performs carpentry interventions on steel and polyester vessels and undertakes specialty woodworking projects such as mill wheels.

Core technology is traditional marine carpentry passed through four generations: hand-built keels (quille), stems (étrave), stern assemblies (massif arrière), ribs (membrures, varangues), planking (bordés), and deck structures in oak, fir, and exotic woods, with hulls and decks caulked using traditional materials (lusin or étoupe). Modern materials integration includes marine plywood with epoxy scarf joints and laminated timber for upper decks and wheelhouses. The physical facility comprises two nefs (workshops) each equipped with 5-ton overhead cranes, plus access to a 350-ton slipway elevator at Le Guilvinec for larger vessels. The shipyard orchestrates a network of 12+ regional specialist subcontractors (forgers, mechanics, hydraulics specialists, fiberglass workers, refrigeration technicians, painters) who work on-site during repair periods.

The business model is project-based B2B services with individually quoted pricing for each construction or refit project, no recurring revenue, and direct-to-customer go-to-market through on-site relationships, local reputation, and at-quay service across six Finistère ports. Customer base is fragmented across individual commercial fishermen, heritage tourism operators, and municipal clients, with no disclosed revenue figures. The company operates as a SASU (unipersonnel simplified joint-stock company) under fourth-generation director Pauline Hénaff Jézéquellou, holds the French State EPV 'Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant' heritage certification (2020), and maintains active Facebook and Instagram channels for community engagement.

Name

Henaff Shipyard

Legal name

SASU Chantier Naval Hénaff

Website

https://chantier-naval-henaff.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1928

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Henaff Shipyard is a fourth-generation family-owned French boat builder and repair yard founded in 1928 in Le Guilvinec, Finistère, specializing in traditional wooden fishing vessel construction (7-20m) and pleasure boat restoration, serving commercial fishermen and maritime heritage clients across Brittany.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wooden Boat Construction and Repair

NAICS

Ship Building and Repairing (336611)

SIC

Ship & Boat Building & Repairing (3730)

akta.pro primary industry

Hull, Structure & Steelwork Repair (TLAKAKAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Dry Docking & Dockyard Operations (Graving/Floating Docks, Docking Services) (TLAHAMAA)

Keywords

• Wooden boat construction
• Fishing vessel repair
• Marine carpentry services
• Pleasure boat building
• Ship refit services

Headquarters

HQ city

Guilvinec

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Boat Construction: Building new wooden fishing vessels (chalutiers, bolincheurs, caseyeurs, fileyeurs, ligneurs, goëmoniers) and pleasure boats (canots, voile-aviron, yoles). Vessels range from 7m to 20m for fishing boats.
2. Boat Repair and Refit: Repair and renovation services for fishing and pleasure vessels. Includes hull repairs, deck restoration, bow replacement, railings (pavois), and full refits. Also accommodates third-party contractors (forgerons de marine, mécaniciens, hydrauliciens, stratifieurs, frigoristes, painters) during repair periods.
3. Unusual Wood Projects: Construction of unusual wooden objects such as mill wheels and retro truck beds, demonstrating specialty craftsmanship beyond traditional boat building.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Henaff Shipyard (Chantier Naval Hénaff) constructs and repairs wooden fishing and pleasure vessels using traditional marine carpentry techniques. The shipyard builds fishing boats (chalutiers, bolincheurs, caseyeurs, fileyeurs, ligneurs, goémoniers) ranging from 7m to 20m and pleasure boats (canots, voile-aviron, yoles), while also providing full refit, repair, and at-quay intervention services across multiple Finistère ports using two workshop halls with 5-ton cranes and a 350-ton slipway elevator.

Product overview

Henaff Shipyard is a traditional boat-building and repair company operating two core service lines: fishing boat construction/repair (trained in various fishing vessel types from 7m to 20m) and pleasure boat construction/repair (canots, voile-aviron, yoles, and Grand Banks yachts). The company employs traditional marine carpentry techniques as its core competency, supplemented by workshop facilities including dual 5-ton crane halls and a 350-ton slipway lift. The business operates as a unified service offering rather than a modular product platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fishing Boat Construction and Repair Construction and repair of wooden fishing vessels including trawlers (coastal and high-sea chalutiers), bolincheurs (purse seiners), caseyeurs (crab/lobster boats), fileyeurs (netter boats), ligneurs (line fishing boats), and goémoniers (seaweed harvesters), ranging from 7m to 20m in size. Targeted at professional fishermen and commercial fishing operators.
• Pleasure Boat Construction and Repair

Quantifiable outcome

• Successfully built STELLAC'H II, first goémonier (seaweed harvester) constructed by the shipyard, demonstrating expansion into new vessel types

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• COPREXMAcoreTechnology or Integration · 4 April 2019Naval architecture and design firm from Pont l'Abbé. COPREXMA provides the naval architecture and engineering studies for vessels constructed or refitted at Chantier Naval Hénaff. Collaboration includes STELLAC'H II, KERVILY II, SANTIAGO, and LA SARDANE projects.
• THOMAS VOLANT (Tréffiagat)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerFabrication workshop providing aluminum bridge/wheelhouse construction and forging services. Built new wheelhouse for SANTIAGO transformation project and forge work on multiple projects.
• SAS DIOUGOANT (Penmarch)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerMotor and engineering company. Provided motor replacement (Caterpillar to Cummins) on LA SARDANE and housing for shipyard during KERVILY II refit. Also handles piping work.
• SMAB (Loctudy)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerMotorization services provider for vessel engine installation and replacement.
• TECHNOMER (Loctudy)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerElectrical and electronic systems installation and renovation for vessels.
• BRETAGNE HYDRAULIQUE (Saint Evarzec)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerHydraulic systems installation and replacement for fishing vessels.
• CHANTIER NAVAL GLEHEN (Guilvinec)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLocal forge and marine workshop providing forging work and hydraulic installations. Worked on LE RECIF and KERVILY II projects.
• DOMINIQUE MAO (Léchiagat)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPainting contractor for vessel finishing work on multiple shipyard projects.
• PROTECTION INCENDIE CORNOUAILLE (Concarneau)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerFire protection and safety equipment installation for vessels.
• PLASTRIMER (Saint Guénolé)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerFiberglass and composites (stratification) work for vessel construction and repair.
• BOPP (Lanvéoc)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerEquipment supplier providing winches and net rollers (treuils et enrouleurs) for fishing vessels.
• THOMAS FROID (Douarnenez)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerRefrigeration systems installation for fishing vessel cold storage and fish holds.
• Intex Consulting (Guilvinec)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerProject coordination and consulting for vessel construction and refit projects.
• SERGE GUILLOU (Guilvinec)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerMarine forge workshop providing tanks (cuves) and forging services for vessel construction.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Alubat: French builder of aluminum sailing and motor boats based in Vendée. Comparable as a regional French boat builder offering custom vessels, but focused on aluminum construction and serving a different material/sailing niche than Hénaff's wooden fishing-boat core.

Broad incumbents

• Chantiers de l'Atlantique: One of Europe's largest shipyards, located in Saint-Nazaire, building cruise ships and naval vessels. Relevant as a broad French shipbuilding incumbent in the same national maritime industry, though operating at vastly larger scale and in different vessel categories.
• Piriou: Major French shipbuilder headquartered in Concarneau (Finistère), constructing fishing vessels, patrol boats, and offshore support ships. Overlaps with Hénaff in the regional fishing-vessel market but operates at significantly larger scale and with steel/aluminum focus.
• Socarenam: French shipbuilding and ship repair group with yards along the French coast, serving fishing, defense, and offshore customers. Comparable as a French ship repair/builder serving the same fishing fleet base, though at broader portfolio scale.
• JFA Chantier Naval: Custom motor yacht builder based in Concarneau, Brittany, building aluminum and composite vessels up to ~45m. Comparable as a Finistère-based custom boat builder serving private clients, though operating in the luxury yacht segment rather than traditional wooden fishing vessels.
• Couach: French builder of composite motor yachts and patrol boats based in Gujan-Mestras. Comparable as a French custom boat builder serving both private and professional maritime customers, though focused on fiberglass construction rather than traditional wood.

Emerging players

• Spirit Yachts: UK-based builder of modern classic wooden sailing yachts using traditional methods combined with modern engineering. Comparable as a niche builder emphasizing craftsmanship and traditional wooden construction, though focused on high-end sailing yachts rather than working fishing boats.
• Fairlie Yachts: British boatbuilder producing traditionally constructed wooden motor yachts and launches. Comparable as a small-scale builder preserving traditional marine joinery and custom build methods, with similar scarcity-driven positioning to Hénaff's artisanal offering.
• Claasen Jachtbouw: Netherlands-based builder of classic and modern classic yachts, often in wood or composite with traditional lines. Comparable as a small premium yard emphasizing traditional craftsmanship and custom builds for discerning private clients, similar in artisanal positioning to Hénaff.

Direct peers

• Chantier Naval Glehen: Small shipyard located in the same port of Le Guilvinec, providing forge work and hydraulic services to fishing vessels. Listed as a core partner of Hénaff, Glehen operates in the same fishing-boat repair niche with overlapping customer base in the Bigouden region.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/chantiernavalhenaff
• Instagraminstagram.com/chantier_naval_henaff
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/chantier-naval-henaff

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Henaff Shipyard