Bateau École

What Bateau École does

Bateau École de Villennes is a French boat license training school operating as a sole proprietorship (entrepreneur individuel) in Villennes-sur-Seine, in the Yvelines department near Paris. Founded in 1996 and led by Rénald Gaignard, the school delivers state-recognized boat licenses — specifically the coastal (côtier) and fluvial (fluvial) options — under formal authorization from the French Affaires Maritimes (registration number 78002). Day-to-day instruction is delivered by at least one named instructor, Éric van Hove, and training combines classroom theory with on-water practical sessions conducted from a single physical site on the Seine.

The school's commercial offering is tightly scoped: a coastal or fluvial license is sold individually at €390, and a bundled coastal+fluvial package is available at €520. Additional commercial mechanics include gift certificates and a content/FAQ presence designed to support inbound customer acquisition. The customer base consists entirely of individual recreational boaters; there is no enterprise or B2B channel evident in the data.

Operationally, the business is constrained by a single training vessel, weekend theory classes, and limited daily practical slots, which caps student throughput. Firmographic data lists 24 employees, which is materially inconsistent with the named-team structure disclosed (founder plus at least one instructor); this inconsistency is itself a data-quality flag. There is no external funding, no disclosed expansion plans, and no technology platform beyond the basic marketing site and blog. The business is a long-running local consumer-services operation with stable unit economics rather than a scaling venture.

Name

Bateau École

Legal name

Bateau école de Villennes (Rénald Gaignard)

Website

https://bateauecoledevillennes.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Bateau École de Villennes is a French state-approved boat license training school founded in 1996 in Villennes-sur-Seine, near Paris. It sells coastal and fluvial boat license courses to individual recreational boaters, with prices from €390 to €520.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Boat License Training

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Merchant Marine & Deck Operations (EDAOANAA)

Keywords

• Boat license training
• Recreational boating courses
• Maritime certification
• Inland waterway licensing
• Navigation education

Headquarters

HQ city

Villennes-sur-Seine

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Boat License Training Services: The company generates revenue through boat license training services, offering theoretical and practical courses for coastal and fluvial boat licenses. Revenue comes from course fees for training packages including theoretical instruction, practical driving sessions, pedagogical materials, and candidate booklets. Additional administrative revenue comes from government exam registration services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Bateau École de Villennes is an approved French boat license training school offering theoretical and practical instruction for both the coastal (Permis Côtier) and fluvial (Permis Fluvial) boat licenses. Training includes a 5-hour Saturday classroom course plus a minimum 2-hour hands-on practical driving session on the Seine aboard a Jeanneau Mery Fischer 580 with Yamaha 80cv engine, with candidates then registering for the official French government exam at approved testing centers.

Product overview

Bateau École de Villennes offers boat license training services for both coastal and fluvial navigation. The company provides a unified training program consisting of theoretical courses (5 hours of classroom instruction), practical boat handling sessions (2 hours minimum on a Jeanneau Mery Fischer 580), and examination preparation materials. The core offerings are the Permis Côtier (coastal license for sea and lake navigation up to 6 miles from shelter) and the Permis Fluvial (river license for inland waterways). Customers can purchase individual licenses or opt for the economical Pack Côtier + Fluvial bundle, which shares the practical training component. Additional services include personalized gift certificates valid indefinitely.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Permis Côtier (Coastal Boat License Training) Training program preparing candidates aged 16+ for the official French Permis Côtier (coastal boat license), enabling maritime and lake navigation up to 6 nautical miles from shelter with vessels under 24 meters and no power limitation. Includes 5 hours of theoretical training, 1h30 of boat operation skills, 2 hours of practical driving on the Seine, pedagogical supports, and a candidate booklet; excludes the €78 government issuance fee and €30 exam registration fee.
• Permis Fluvial (River Boat License Training) Training program preparing candidates aged 16+ for the official French Permis Fluvial (river boat license), enabling navigation on rivers, canals, lakes, and inland waterways with vessels under 20 meters and no power limitation. Includes 5 hours of theoretical training, 1h30 of boat operation skills, 2 hours of practical driving on the Seine, pedagogical supports, and a candidate booklet; excludes the €78 government issuance fee and €30 exam registration fee.
• Pack Côtier + Fluvial (Combined Coastal and Fluvial License Package)

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Others

• Fédération Française de Voile: French national sailing federation overseeing sailing education and certification in France. Adjacent player in French on-water training with overlapping customer pool but focused on sailing rather than motorboat license preparation.
• BoatUS Foundation: US nonprofit providing free boating safety education. Comparable thematically as a recreational boating safety educator, though not a paid licensing school and not a direct competitor in the French market.

Emerging players

• Boat-Ed.com (Kalkomey Enterprises): Online provider of state-approved boating safety and licensing courses across the US. Comparable as an alternative delivery format for boat license education, particularly the theoretical component Villennes currently delivers in-person.

Regional players

• Les Glénans: Historic French recreational sailing and boating school federation. Comparable as a French organization delivering recreational on-water training and certification, though focused on sailing rather than motorboat licensing.

Broad incumbents

• Royal Yachting Association (RYA): UK national body for recreational boating, certification, and training. Comparable as a larger, established organization issuing recognized boating qualifications and accrediting training schools, analogous to the role of Affaires Maritimes in France.

Direct peers

• America's Boating Club (formerly US Power Squadrons): US nonprofit delivering recreational boating safety and licensing courses through a national chapter network. Directly comparable as a membership-based boating education organization preparing individuals for operator licensing exams.
• BOATsmart!: Canadian operator of accredited online and in-person boating license courses required by Transport Canada. Directly comparable as a license-prep training provider targeting the same recreational boat operator customer.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/bateauecoledevillennes
• Instagraminstagram.com/bateau.ecole.villennes
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bateau-%C3%A9cole

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 Bateau École