Yves Colin, the "father" of the scoubidou

Born in Larret, in the commune of Porspoder, Yves Colin learned the seaweed harvester’s trade early on from his father. He practised it all his life and took an active part in the profession’s efforts to improve its working methods.

While a good many older harvesters remained resistant to motorisation, his boat, the Marie-Pierre, was already fitted with a recent type of outboard motor in 1959.

In 1961, he and his colleagues took inspiration from the potato hook to develop a hook-shaped device that tore the seaweed free with a turning movement: the scoubidou, which would replace the guillotine. This invention, for which he filed a patent, multiplied the harvest by four.

But it was the development of the hydraulic scoubidou in 1971, after many trials in which he took part, that marked the decisive turning point in the trade.