D’ECO VELAS

Viviane Pelletier is a talented sailmaker who set up her business Velas Fonduco in Menorca in 1986 in the Fonduco area of Port Mahon (close to the Miramar and Rocamar Hotels). As her business grew she moved to the industrial estate in Mahon and then to a sail loft in Es Castell. Now Viviane has handed over the sailmaking business and has started a new venture in the Port of Mahon calles D’Eco Velas. Over the years, she collected many sail related items, and made many contacts and now she recycles old sails into beautiful new bags and cushions.

Viviane was born in Perpignan, and she learned her trade at a sailmakers in Britanny, northern France, in the 1980´s. As boat owners, we watched in wonder as Viviane arrived to measure up for a new bimini or sprayhood. With her tape measure, pins, paper patterns, a great eye for detail and high degree of spatial awareness she quickly made up a pattern for a beautifully finished bimini or sprayhood which fitted like a glove. Now she is enjoying a new sense of freedom by using these talents to design and manufacture a range of items made out of sails, canvas and other boat related materials. There are several companies manufacturing bags out of sail cloth but what sets Viviane apart is that she will design and make a unique bag, taking into account the taste and requirements of the customer. Bags can be made out of second hand sails if they are not too worn. This involves a lot of work cleaning and preparing the sail before it can be up upcycled into beautiful new objects.

Viviane speaks 5 languages, French, Catalan, Spanish, English and German, which she says has helped her to build new relations with visitors passing along the port.

D’Eco Velas, C/ Anden de Levant in Port Mahon, near the Bar d’Es Port