Grilling on a boat… A dream for some, a reality in Penne-d’Agenais on the initiative of Hugo Martin, the founder of Captain-Grill, a barbecue boat rental without a license.
Hugo Martin is a young entrepreneur from Agen (he is 26 years old), and he has just embarked on an adventure that combines his taste for water and navigation and business acumen. He has just opened his business on the banks of the Lot, in the port of Penne-d’Agenais, Captain-Grill.
“I’ve always been passionate about anything that floats, whether it’s in a river or on the sea. I also have both licenses: river and coast. I started working as a delivery driver, but I owned a small boat in for a long time I made many excursions on the Arcachon basin. I always knew that one day I would work on the water. The young man comes from an entrepreneurial family. I wanted to start my own business one day my own boss.”
So Hugo gets information, browses the websites. “What I wanted was to combine tourism and leisure, and all this on the water.” Some might have thought it impossible, or at least very complicated. It was then that he came across a rather unique concept: renting electric boats, therefore without a license, with something completely unique, a grill installed on the boat. “I found that these boats, this concept, corresponded perfectly to the idea I had for my business to be able to live from my passion.”
“Two boats, each of which can accommodate 9 people”
He gets in touch with the inventor of this concept, who markets the boats. “It is not a franchise. This already exists on the Seine or elsewhere in France. Everyone is responsible for these boats, for their business. After discussing with the designer of these boats and who markets them, I acquired 2 , and I set out on the adventure, I have full freedom to operate these boats. Since it’s not a franchise, I could name it whatever I wanted, so I called him Captain Grill.
All that remained was to find a home port. “As I am from Agen, we naturally face the Garonne. But it is not navigable. There are also too many difficulties on the canal. I know the Lot and the port of Penne-d’Agenais well. So when I came to present my project , whether it was to the town hall, the communes or the tourist office, they were all willing to support me in this adventure. And so in the middle of spring, his company opened its doors in the port of Penne-d’Agenais. Not necessarily the best time this year. It is true that it gave me time to put everything in place, but hey, I would have preferred good weather to start the season right.” Yes, in tourism, especially river tourism, we are dependent of the weather in all circumstances.
“People bring their own grills.”
So whether it is for a 2-hour trip on a cliff or with friends, or for a larger 4-hour trip, the 2 round boats can be piloted by anyone. “I always ask people to come 20 minutes early, for a short training session at Lotten, what you can do or not. The boats are completely safe, life jackets for each participant, a buoy, a fire extinguisher, an anchor to anchor quietly to a meal and honestly anyone can drive it. It is very round and very stable.
As for the food: “I’m not a chef. I actually make the grill available to those who pass through. They bring their grill and are so self-sufficient. If some want it, I can give them the grills that have been purchased. here people can stop when they want to eat or get the Polish at the moment and you can come and sail recently came with her grandchildren and their parents.
But Hugo Martin does not stop there. “I also offer original breakfast on the Lot, or romantic walks at sunset. Since the grill is removable, I can take it out and the location can be changed to a table, an ice bucket. If things go well, I’m thinking about expanding my fleet soon with 2 extra boats I have already been contacted by companies who want to go on an excursion at the end of the year with their employees.
