This Thursday, February 22nd, the Mediterranean University Center hosted a conference on the preservation of boats in the Alpes-Maritimes. Associations, representatives from the heritage foundation, and enthusiasts gathered together.
Pointus, gourses, tartanes… These boats have animated the shores of the department for centuries. Associations of enthusiasts strive to maintain, restore, and sail these “boats of heritage interest.” Among them is the association for the preservation of maritime heritage in Villefranche-sur-Mer. Paul-Jo Masnata, vice-president, passionately shared his memories of constructing boats. His trade as a shipwright is rare today. It is difficult to access, as Thierry Pons, president of the Mediterranean Heritage Federation, highlighted. At the age of 14, he became passionate about wooden boats and wished to make it his profession. However, he faced the difficulty of finding training. He stressed, “the trade no longer exists, it’s dramatic because you get no recognition.” Paul-Jo Masnata detailed the specifics of the trade and the various traditional Mediterranean boats, notably the pointus and lateen-sailed boats. The audience of enthusiasts recognized the complexity of this work.
Restoring these old boats gives them a second life. Wooden boats are certainly very beautiful and part of our Mediterranean identity, but they require a lot of time and financial resources. Associations struggle to gather the necessary funds for their survival. This is why the heritage foundation, created in 1996, is involved in this preservation. To take action, it has several means such as calls for donations, Stephane Bern’s heritage mission (since 2017), and sponsorships. By launching calls for generosity, each French citizen can financially support the projects of various associations.
Preserving Maritime Heritage
To achieve this, Thierry Pons founded the Aventure Pluriel association in 1995. Through numerous restoration, reflection, and navigation projects, preserving maritime and river heritage is possible. Thierry’s goal is to think about how to keep these boats alive. He explained that “people are not aware of what is exposed before their eyes.” Volunteers recover boats abandoned in shipyards. Then, they restore them with the aim of making them sail again one day. Additionally, the association supports boat owners by providing all necessary materials for their restoration. The main challenge remains financial. Buying a boat, ensuring its maintenance, paying for a port spot, all costs a lot. It’s a significant expense for just a few sailing days per year. To cover these costs, the association offers memberships or sea outings to discover the beautiful landscapes of the region.
Lastly, the establishment of shared boats is an opportunity to bring together enthusiasts at a lower cost. They genuinely support the conservation of Maritime Heritage. For 70, 100, or 130 euros per month, each person can have access to a boat, with exclusive use for 30 days a year. A charter has been developed and governs the functioning of the boats, detailing mutual commitments.
For Thierry, the PACA region has the largest collection of traditional boats in France with 500 boats. Across the French territory, 1,600 boats are recognized as being of heritage interest. The heritage foundation supports associations to ensure that maritime heritage does not disappear.
