FRENCH POLISH

There are few small family businesses – and even fewer boatyards – that can trace their origins back to the Napoleonic era. Location is key for standing the test of time, and around the alpine lakes you will find more boatbuilders with a long tradition of craftmanship than pretty much anywhere else. In Italy, Austria, Germany or Switzerland, the fresh waters are protected by mountain barriers, a defensive wall against the ravages of time that so devastate the marine coastlines.

However, the fate of the Portier house (originally Suter) is an exception. It was founded in 1815, a crucial year, full of twists, and the start of a new era in Europe. The emperor Napoleon abdicated that year on 22 June.