Publication date: 01/15/2026
The Pen Men, a former military patrol boat turned somewhat unusual “rescue vessel”
A National Navy patrol boat steeped in history
The Pen Men is a former vessel of the French Navy, more precisely a Landing Craft Personal and Service (LCPS) built in 1965 by the Cherbourg Naval Construction and Arms Directorate in the Cotentin Peninsula.
Designed for military missions aboard fleet ships, in ports and at stops, the boat had an initial operational life before being decommissioned and then transformed into a civilian vessel.
In the early 2000s, the patrol boat was converted into a coastal fishing boat on the island of Groix, in Morbihan. It then took its name from the Pen Men lighthouse – an iconic landmark of the island. Later preserved for several years in the South-West of France, it still exhibits the style and characteristics of military units from its era. Notably, the original Hispano-Suiza Bugatti diesel engine remains on board.
Today, the Pen Men bears witness to genuine naval expertise and can rightly be described as a heritage vessel.
A vessel under restoration
Over 60 years after its construction, the military patrol boat Pen Men is in need of some work: over time, the vessel has suffered wear and maintenance shortcomings, making a complete refurbishment necessary.
Due to the vessel’s status, its conservation and restoration must follow a heritage logic, attentive to French maritime history and the memory of service ships.
Within this framework, a solidarity initiative has emerged – focused on the public interest and combining maritime heritage, support for veterans with psychological war injuries, and the transmission of manual skills.
Since 2022, several work sessions have been carried out at the Tramasset associative shipyard in Gironde, in collaboration with the Maison Athos de Cambes, in order to involve several veterans with psychological war injuries in the vessel’s restoration. Ship carpentry, mechanics, sealing, handling… each step invites participants to focus on concrete manual tasks within a structured and collective environment, aiming at personal reconstruction and the passing on of skills.
A public-interest project led by committed actors
The role of Dr Renaud Bessellere
At the origin of the initiative, Dr Renaud Bessellere is the owner of the Pen Men and the founding president of the mission-driven company Éda.S – Expertise, Development, Autonomy & Health. For him, manual work carried out in a safe and meaningful environment can support a process of sustainable reconstruction.
Renaud Bessellere develops projects combining heritage, skill transmission, and support for veterans with psychological war injuries: in this context, the Pen Men and its restoration become a mediation tool between participants, maritime professionals, and host territories.
“A complete renovation of the Pen Men was decided, and the project gradually emerged from conducting this restoration with men who needed to keep their hands busy to ward off the thoughts that tormented them: veterans with psychological war injuries suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD),” explains Dr Bessellere.
The role of Maison Athos de Cambes in the project
Located 5 kilometres from the associative shipyard where the Pen Men was stationed, Maison Athos de Cambes – whose mission is the psychosocial rehabilitation of military personnel and former military personnel with psychological war injuries – had every reason to be involved in the project:
“This structure, set up by the Ministry of the Armed Forces, provides a stable and secure environment, promoting personal reconstruction through collective and practical activities. Moreover, one of the mentors for veterans with psychological war injuries employed by Maison Athos in Cambes is a former ship carpenter who worked at the Tramasset shipyard: the discovery of the vessel during a site visit with the veterans was quite an exceptional moment!” explains Dr Bessellere.
Since the concrete implementation of the project, the restoration of the Pen Men has provided an accessible manual work platform, mobilising various skills without any performance pressure: the sessions organised around the boat allow participants to focus on technical gestures, interact with professionals in the field, and regain a progressive work rhythm.
Several dozen veterans have participated in the vessel’s restoration operations, with a notable impact on their mental health and quality of life.
“When I work on the boat, I no longer have nightmares,” confided one of them.
Veterans at work during the vessel’s restoration
Port Médoc, a natural choice for mooring
Verdon-sur-Mer, a maritime and military territory
At the entrance of the Gironde estuary, Verdon-sur-Mer has a strong maritime identity – shaped by naval and military history, estuarine navigation, as well as transatlantic exchanges. For these reasons, Port Médoc was identified by Dr Bessellere as a coherent host location for the vessel:
“Very attached to the area, I approached the Mayor of Le Verdon-sur-Mer to present the Pen Men project and our ambitions for the restored vessel. He supported the initiative and introduced me to the director of Port Médoc, who was immediately sensitive to the cause of veterans with psychological war injuries. He agreed to welcome us with the Pen Men at the Port of Le Verdon-sur-Mer.”
The proximity of the Cordouan lighthouse, the estuary’s sandbanks, and the Charente-Maritime coastline create a navigation area suited to the vessel’s future uses: this environment will allow for day trips, maintenance periods, and veteran hosting – all in carefully controlled conditions.
By offering to become the future home port of the Pen Men, Port Médoc positions itself as a full partner in the project.
A port capable of hosting atypical nautical projects
Beyond conventional pleasure boats, the Port of Verdon-sur-Mer stands out for its capacity to accommodate vessels of varied profiles. Its infrastructure, composed of pontoons and adapted quays, allows for the berthing of specific vessels requiring particular mooring and handling conditions.
For the Pen Men, it was possible to plan technical interventions, engine lifting operations, and long-term berthing. All lifting and maritime handling operations will be carried out on-site, as Port Médoc has all the necessary equipment and expertise. These operations will always be conducted in a safe environment, thanks to the support of the technical teams.
For the heritage vessel, the port infrastructure offers in particular:
- Suitable draught
- Secure mooring
- Stable berthing conditions
- Easy access to the quays, both for technical interventions and for users
- Reliable protection against weather conditions in the Gironde estuary
The Pen Men finds in Verdon-sur-Mer an environment perfectly suited, both technically and humanly. It will be possible to continue the vessel’s restoration, prepare future navigation, and host the engaged veterans under ideal conditions.
By putting its facilities at the service of a meaningful heritage vessel, Port Médoc asserts its vision of the port as a living space, a welcoming place, but also a place of anchorage and transmission.
