Ensign to carry the Rhea flag in Australia

by Tracey Goodwin on 3 May 2012 French boat builder Rhea Marine, considered one of the leaders in the high end French motorised pleasure boat industry, has chosen Ensign Ship Brokers as their exclusive importer for Australia.

Rhea Marine, located near La Rochelle on the Atlantic coast of France, could be labelled a 'boutique' boat builder catering to a niche market in that they are modern in construction and materials used, yet traditional in design with a vintage touch. Rhea has re-invented the good, safe fishing and cruising boats once seen on the Atlantic coast before production boats and the search for scale economics saw the decline in quality of materials used.

Rhea Marine specialises in building a wide range of high quality, seaworthy and classic design fishing and cruising oriented models between 7m and 11m (23-26’) in length.

The company has built over 600 boats and recently launched a new range of ocean-going trawlers, between 13m and 20m (43-66’) in length. These trawlers are highly personalised, with every request from owners worked out with the factory. Options, timber, finishes and even layout can be modified to please the most discerning customer.

With its price and quality equipment, it can compete seriously with the so-called ‘best sellers’ against which it will be compared and above all, for clients who wish to stand out from the crowd.

Throughout its rapid expansion, the company has managed to preserve the Rhea spirit and concept of 'attractive, marine boats, designed for safe fishing and cruising that can be personalised to the customer's wishes'.

In December, Rhea Marine displayed a hybrid 850 powerboat at the Paris Boat Show and received tremendous interest from attendees, and in fact more than 40 boats are either on order, in construction or have been delivered.

It has been an exciting journey for Rhea and they anticipate celebrating many more achievements in the years to come, particularly in the Australian market with Ensign at the helm.

Rhea key points:
* French high quality vintage boat builder.
* Rhea Boats: 'attractive, marine boats, designed for safe fishing and cruising that can be personalised to the customer's wishes'.
* Rhea Marine was founded in 1996 by Bertrand Danglade and is now considered a reference brand in the motorised pleasure boat industry.
* From the outset, Rhea Marine has specialised in building fishing and cruising-oriented motorised pleasure boats.
* This positioning has enabled Rhea Marine to develop a wide range of 9 different models of between 7 and 11 metres in length. The company has so far built over 600 boats.
* Since 2002, Rhea Marine has operated from a vast production yard near La Rochelle-Ile de Ré airport. The yard is equipped with the very latest technologies, enabling the company to increase production and widen its range with ease.
* However, throughout this rapid expansion, the company has managed to preserve the Rhea spirit and concept: 'attractive, marine boats, designed for safe fishing and cruising that can be personalised to the customer's wishes'.
* In line with its continuing drive for innovation, Rhea Marine launched an Open motorboat in 2008, featuring classic lines but offering exceptional performance with its choice of Hydrojet or Z-Drive propulsion.
* Rhea Marine launched a new range of ocean-going Trawlers, between 13 and 20 meters in length, built in Turkey.

History of the brand:
1996: Rhea Marine was born on many requests from friends of the owner: 'Bertrand, build us a boat just for us.' Just a few months later, the first of many Rheas, the Rhea 900, came off the slip: 'it’s a boat for us… only better!'
1997: Following the successful completion of several Rhea 900 models, Bertrand Danglade designed the boat that was to become to primary catalyst for the company’s growth - the Rhea 750 Wheelhouse.
1999: Following comments from owners about issues with mooring length, Rhea Marine launched the Rhea 650 Wheelhouse.
2001: Listening to owners and their demands, Rhea Marine launched a much larger boat, the Rhea 1100. Cruising in a Rhea was now possible.
2002: Opening of a new factory to follow the growing demand.
2003: Open range is born: In a drive to meet the needs of pleasure boating customers rather than fishing customers, the yard developed a new Open range in 2003.
2005: Customers request bigger boats: the Rhea 850 Wheelhouse and the Rhea 850 Open are launched.
2006: Rhea open 900 open released.
2007: Saw the launch of the Rhea 800 Wheelhouse, which was an instant success, with over 30 sold in the first year alone.
2008: As a part of a continuing drive for innovation, Rhea Marine launched a large 10-metre Open model with a choice of propulsion methods: Z-Drive or Hydrojet. This new range, with its classic lines and exceptional performance, broke the 40-knot barrier. 2008: Launch of the Rhea 28 Wheelhouse, which was an instant success!
2009: Trawler range is born. A 43’, soon followed by a 47’, 57’, 67’ and the latest released is a 36’.