Taratari

Taratari is a shipyard founded in 2004 in Bangladesh by the French sailor Yves Marre. Supported by the French NGO Watever, it aims to develop a modern, safe, and responsible nautical production industry in the country.
In 1994, Yves Marre sailed his barge from France to Bangladesh. There, he and his wife Runa Khan founded an NGO called Friendship to provide health care in the area. They converted the barge into a hospital to provide healthcare to isolated people in the north of Bangladesh.
In 2004, Marre founded the Taratari shipyard for Friendship's needs, aiming to build a second floating hospital and two ambulance catamarans with fiberglass. The catamaran "Emirates Friendship Hospital" was inaugurated in 2008.
In 2004 Marre also met Marc Van Peteghem, co-director of the naval architecture agency VPLP. This gave rise to numerous collaborations, including the NGO Watever. Van Peteghem designed a floating ambulance for Taratari, which was produced in two units to support the "Lifebuoy Friendship Hospital" and the "Emirates Friendship Hospital". Van Peteghem also helped Marre design the first fiberglass prototype of a "Masdoris", a traditionally-shaped fishing boat from Kuakata, Bangladesh. These new boats were safer and more sustainable than wooden ones, with a lifetime of more than 20 years.
In 2010, Taratari convinced the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the FAO, of the need to improve and renovate traditional Bengali boats. The organization put the shipyard in charge of the production of the first 25 of the country's fishing boats made of fiberglass. With the delivery of 35 more units to the FAO in 2012, Taratari also trained fishermen in the use of the new boats.
In 2011, UNICEF ordered 7 transport boats of the "Mandoris" type for carrying children from the islands of Kaptai Lake to school. These boats have transported over 7,000 children per year.
In 2012, Taratari shipyard moved to Chittagong to increase its production capacity and to be closer to the sailors in the Bay of Bengal. The shipyard continued working with the FAO, developed new vessels for the A.K. Khan company, and started new projects. The company built Bangladesh's first jute fiber boat.
In 2014, a partnership with a local industrial group is expected. This collaboration triple the shipyard's total area, and enable it to continue research and development of new boats.
Taratari is the only shipyard in Bangladesh to both design and produce its vessels, to train its teams in shipbuilding by international standards, and to regulate the use of composite materials, steel, and wood.
Taratari develops new watercraft based on local needs, taking into account the geographical characteristics of the country and integrating local naval architecture in ship design.
The shipyard also supports local, innovative projects in the water industry. This has included hosting the "Gold Of Bengal" team as they built prototype boats made of jute fiber.
Taratari mainly produces and services boats made of composite materials. The first released boat made of steel was the hospital catamaran Emirates. The shipyard is also involved in reconstructing older, wooden ships to preserve Bangladesh's naval heritage, such as the Malar, Panchi, Patham, great Shampan, Baich, and small Shampan boats.
It also builds prototypes of ships and designs and manufactures molds for industrial production.
Taratari trains technicians in Bangladesh at the Regional Training Center. They provide them training in auto-mechanic, electrical, welding, and tailoring.
In 2013, Taratari, in association with F.A.O and Watever, organized the training of 15 students in composite ship repair.
22°23′36″N 91°52′53″E﻿ / ﻿22.3933°N 91.8814°E﻿ / 22.3933; 91.8814