Teak Decking
New lay, partial re-lay and re-caulking of teak decks — hand-fitted seams, fair curves and margins cut to the vessel, not to a jig.
- Re-caulk
- Re-lay
- Fairing
Yacht timber restoration · since 2009
Timber, restored to the water.
We restore and maintain the timber on classic and modern yachts across the Mediterranean — decks, brightwork and joinery, by hand.
The Atelier
The work owners can't afford to get wrong — given the time it actually takes.
Maré Atelier is a small workshop of shipwrights and finishers working only in marine timber. We take on a handful of vessels each season, so each one gets the time it needs.
It shows in the details — the tightness of a deck seam, the depth of a varnished caprail, a joint that simply fits. Practical work, done properly.
Léonard VasseurFounder & Master Shipwright
Est. 2009
Palma · Antibes
The Craft
Six disciplines, one standard
Everything we do is timber and finish. That focus is deliberate — it is how the work stays exceptional rather than merely competent.
Timber Restoration
Sympathetic repair of aged and damaged structure — scarfed-in sections, colour-matched grain and repairs that disappear into the original.
- Scarf repair
- Grain match
- Structural
Exterior Woodwork
Caprails, toe rails, cockpit tables, gratings and hatch surrounds — the brightwork that gives a deck its warmth and its worth.
- Caprails
- Gratings
- Brightwork
Interior Joinery
Saloon panelling, soles, cabinetry and berths — fitted to the millimetre and finished to live with, season after season, at sea.
- Panelling
- Soles
- Cabinetry
Varnishing & Finishing
Hand-laid finishing schedules — up to twelve coats, flatted between each, built to a mirror and maintained rather than replaced.
- Up to 12 coats
- Oiled
- Matte & gloss
Yacht Maintenance
Seasonal care programmes that keep restored timber right — routine sand-and-recoats, inspections and quiet attention before it is needed.
- Care plans
- Inspections
- Refresh coats
Selected Work
Restorations we were trusted with
A few of the vessels through the atelier — each one a study in patience. Names and details are illustrative of the kind of work we take on.
Full Deck Re-Lay
Project 01
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Serena1978 Sangermani · 22m Ketch · Antibes
A classic Italian ketch with a deck weathered to silver and seams giving up their caulk. We lifted the lot, laid new Burma teak to the original margins, and gave her back a foredeck you could read a chart on.
Duration14 weeks
Teak Laid112 m²
Caulk SeamsBy hand
Brightwork & Joinery
Project 02
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LumeModern Sloop · 34m · Palma
A contemporary performance sloop whose owner wanted warmth against all that carbon. We rebuilt the cockpit table and coamings in figured teak and finished them to a deep, low-sheen glow — modern restraint, old-world hands.
Duration9 weeks
Finish10 coats
ElementsBespoke
Interior Restoration
Project 03
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Vespera1962 Camper & Nicholsons · Genoa
Below decks on a beloved sixty-year-old, sixty years of life had dulled the mahogany saloon. We stripped it back with reverence, repaired what the sea had taken, and returned a room that feels exactly as it did — only cared for.
Duration18 weeks
TimberHonduran mahogany
SoleRe-laid
Before & After
Before
After
The same deck, ten weeks apart
When Serena came to us, her teak had greyed and cupped, and the caulk had let go along the covering board. Owners often think a deck like this is finished. It rarely is.
We drag the slider not to sell a miracle, but to show what patience buys: a fair surface, tight seams, and grain that has depth again. Every metre was hand-caulked and faired — no shortcuts, no filler standing in for craft.
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Maré gave us back a deck we were told was beyond saving. Six years on, it still stops people on the dock.Capt. Henri Roux S/Y Aria · 41m · Antibes
Materials
The timber matters more than the tool
We choose slow-grown, quarter-sawn stock for stability at sea, and match grain and colour by eye. Where we can, we source reclaimed and certified timber — because the right plank should not cost the wrong forest.
Burma Teak
Decks · BrightworkThe benchmark for marine decking — natural oils, tight grain and quiet non-slip. Reserved for work that must last decades.
Honduran Mahogany
Interiors · JoineryDeep, warm and workable — the classic saloon timber. We use it for restoration where matching the original is everything.
Iroko
Exterior · SustainableA hardy, responsibly sourced alternative for exterior work — durable, stable and honest, with a grain that ages gracefully.
Reclaimed Oak
Structure · DetailSalvaged, air-dried and full of character — used where a piece asks for history as much as strength.
◆ On sourcing — every board is chosen for grain and moisture before it is chosen for looks, and we keep a record of where each came from. Certified and reclaimed stock is our default, not our exception.
How We Work
Five stages, no shortcuts
The order rarely changes, because the order is the craft. Each stage is signed off before the next begins.
01
Survey
We come to the boat, read the timber, and tell you honestly what she needs — and what she doesn't. A written assessment, not a sales pitch.
Aboard · in person
02
Strip & Prepare
Old finish, failed caulk and tired timber come away carefully. Preparation is most of the work and all of the difference.
Patient · reversible
03
Repair & Fabricate
Sections scarfed in, joinery made at the bench, grain matched by eye. New work fitted to feel original from day one.
By hand · to the mm
04
Finish
Caulking, fairing and hand-laid coats, flatted between each. The stage everyone sees, built on the stages they don't.
Up to 12 coats
05
Handover & Care
We walk the owner through what we did and how to keep it, then offer a seasonal plan so the work stays right for years.
Documented · ongoing
The House
A small atelier, by design
Maré Atelier began on a single bench in Palma in 2009 and has stayed deliberately small. Today a team of eight — shipwrights, joiners and finishers — works between our Mallorca workshop and a seasonal bench in Antibes.
We turn work away more often than we take it, because the only way to promise this level of care is to give each vessel the time it truly needs. Our clients are captains, owners and yards who have learned that cheap timber work is the most expensive kind.
2009Established
60+Vessels restored
8Craftspeople
The standard is simple: work we would be proud to sign, on a boat we would be proud to own.
12
Hand-laid coats
Finishing schedules built and flatted by hand — depth you can see into, not spray you can chip.
0.5mm
Seam tolerance
Deck seams cut and caulked to a consistency you feel underfoot before you notice with your eye.
100%
Documented
Every stage photographed and recorded, so the next person to care for her knows exactly what we did.
Yrs
Built to last
Reversible methods and honest materials — restoration that can be maintained, not merely admired.
In the Workshop
Details, up close
Fresh caulk, foredeck
Caprail, flatted
Scarf join
Saloon, mahogany
Enquiries
Tell us about your vessel
We take on a limited number of projects each season. If you are considering restoration, finishing or a seasonal care plan, we would be glad to see her.
Email atelier@mare-atelier.example
Palma +34 000 000 000
Antibes +33 0 00 00 00 00
Seasons Mediterranean · by arrangement