A pinasse or pinassotte from the Arcachon Basin is a small, flat-bottomed boat traditionally propelled by a spritsail and oars, later by motor. It is primarily used for fishing and oyster farming.
History
Etymology The origin of the word "pinasse" is debated. It derives from the Gascon Romance term pinaça, with equivalents in Spanish (pinaza), Italian (pinaccia), and English (pinnace). It is generally considered to stem from a Latin derivative *pinacea, meaning "made of pine planks." It should not be confused with the Catalan pinassa, meaning "large pine," which refers to the black pine (Pinus nigra). In Lorraine, "pinasse" is a vernacular term for the Scots pine. The term can also be compared to pinche or pinque (a flat-bottomed boat), derived from the Dutch pinck.
The term thillole or tillole, related to the Galician tilla and Breton tille, likely originates from the Old Norse tilja, meaning "plank."
Origins The use of pinasses in the Arcachon Basin dates back centuries, though no formal written records mention them before references in 1553 and 1556. These appear in the notarial records of Arnaud de Laville, a notary in La Teste-de-Buch, documenting transactions involving pinasses.
In 1604, a transaction between Jean-Louis d'Épernon, the Captal de Buch, and users of the forêt usagère (communal forest) noted: … it was agreed that, while at sea, if their oars or masts break, they may take wood without permission to make oars, masts, ganchots, and tostets for pinasses and boats […]. They may sell their pinasses […] without abusing […] or damaging the said wood. In 1708, Claude Masse, in a memoir accompanying his map of the Arcachon Basin, described small boats called pinasses, measuring 15 to 16 feet long and 4 to 5 feet wide. In 1727, François Le Masson du Parc, a marine commissioner from the Bayonne Admiralty, inspected fisheries along the coast and documented pinasses in the Landes de Gascogne, including at Vielle-Saint-Girons, Mimizan, and the Arcachon Basin. He described them as "shuttle-shaped with slightly raised ends, measuring 20 to 22 feet from stem to sternpost." Some pinasses had a mast and sail. Le Masson du Parc listed 13 uses for pinasses, including:
Net fishing in channels (five types); Sardine fishing; Oyster dredging in channels; Seine fishing in the basin and along the coast; Palet and palicot fishing; Spearfishing; Seabird hunting; Shrimp fishing; Oyster and shellfish gathering;
Two types of pinasses were noted: a smaller one, about 6.5 meters long, without a rudder and rowed by two men, and a larger one, at least 7 meters long, with additional planking, a rudder, and operated by six men using oars and sails. A total of 204 pinasses were recorded. Although regulations prohibited pinasses from leaving the Arcachon Basin, larger ones competed with fishing chaloupes at sea. The smaller vessels were later officially termed "pinassottes" in 1909. Systematic registration of pinasses began in the early 19th century with the establishment of maritime districts. The La Teste-de-Buch maritime district covered the area from Lacanau to Mimizan, though pinassottes, considered auxiliary boats, were not always registered.
From sail to steam Detailed descriptions and plans of pinasses emerged in the mid-19th century, with Baudens in 1866 and Georges Sahuqué in 1881, who published an article in Le Yacht. By this time, pinasses had rudders and a mobile, tiltable mast. The clinker-built planking persisted. The arrival of the railway in La Teste in 1841 brought tourists, who began taking paid pinasse excursions, expanding the boat’s use beyond fishing. In the 1860s, modern oyster farmers adopted pinasses. In 1909, M. Boubès, a former Arcachon maritime administrator, classified pinasses by length, a system still used locally:
The early 20th century brought significant changes with motorization. Pinasses evolved from simple, clinker-built, oar- or sail-powered boats without nails, rudders, or keels to motorized vessels with keels, bilge keels, articulated rudders, rabbeted planking, and reinforced stems and sternposts. Motorization became widespread after 1905–1906, initially among wealthier owners, and by 1913, nearly all Arcachon fishing pinasses were motorized. In 1902, Albert Couach and Auguste Bert developed the first motorized pinasse, Libellule, launched in 1903 and powered by kerosene, earning the nickname "pétroleuse" (kerosene boat). These boats grew larger and sturdier to accommodate heavy internal combustion engines weighing around 250 kilograms (550 lb). Some reached 12 meters, carrying eight to twelve men and three to five dories for sardine fishing, with partial decking. The success of motorized pinasses was rapid, with 76 built in 1908 alone. Shipyards in Arcachon, La Teste-de-Buch, and Gujan-Mestras thrived, including those of Barrière, Bert, Bonnin Frères, Bossuet, Boyé, Daney, Daycard, Dubourdieu, Fourton, Labouyrie, Mendozat, Monguillet, Mouliets, Pradère, and others. The kerosene-powered, retractable-propeller pinasse became the preferred tool for Arcachon Basin oyster farmers. The French Navy, customs service, and public works department also commissioned pinasses. In 1926, Bigouden fishermen adopted pinasses, replacing their traditional chaloupes.
Pinasses in traditional fishing Until the late 20th century, pinasses remained essential for professional fishermen:
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