A.F. Theriault & Sons Where Tradition and Innovation Meet
May 24, 2016
A.F. Theriault & Son Ltd. is one of the largest, privately owned boatyards in Canada’s Atlantic region. This family owned and operated business was founded in 1938 by Augustin Theriault in an era when wooden boats still ruled the seas. Today, the yard is a very different place, building state-of-the-art workboats, pilot boats, patrol vessels, yachts, fireboats and passenger ferries.
Although current projects, which include a new ferry for Halifax harbour and a number of fishing vessels, are commercial vessels, over the years the yard has turned out a large number of yachts up to 80ft. Yacht construction at Theriault’s began in the 1960s with building a number of wooden ketches and schooners for Doug Rosborough. This was traditional wooden boat building and these Privateers as they were called became very well known in the US.Today yachts are built in steel, aluminum, fibreglass or advanced composite.
The company has an indoor production facility for vessels up to 150 feet in length and a production staff of over 150 highly trained professional boat builders, including engineers, tradespersons, project administrators,and support staff, all of whom contribute to the continued success and growth of A. F. Theriault & Son Ltd. The owners place a high priority on training and certification. This includes participation in the Nova Scotia Boatbuilder apprenticeship program.To endure the highest construction quality, safety and stability, all construction and repairwork is done in accordance with the appropriate standards, including Transport Canada Marine Safety (TCMS), US Coast Guard and American Boat and Yacht Council (ABYC) as well as to class requirements such as Lloyd’s Register, Det Norske Veritas and American Bureau of Shipping (ABS).
