Save the Hermione, it's now or never!
Around a hundred elected officials, public figures, business leaders, and sailors are raising the alarm over the replica of the Marquis de La Fayette's frigate. In dry dock since 2021, the ship is seeking €5 million for its restoration.
Will we ever see L'Hermione set sail again? In a manifesto published on May 20 and signed by around a hundred personalities—including the mayors of Rochefort and Brest, presenter Stéphane Bern, president of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region Alain Rousset, former minister Dominique Bussereau , and actress Catherine Frot —the association that owns the frigate is sounding the alarm. " L'Hermione is in danger, and to save her, it's now or never," states this body, chaired by Vice-Admiral Marc de Briançon.
The replica of the frigate that carried the Marquis de La Fayette to the United States in the 18th century was born thanks to the writer Erik Orsenna, a French-American seafaring enthusiast and former mayor of Rochefort. Built between 1997 and 2014 before the public's eyes, it left the port of Rochefort in 2015 for the United States, following in the footsteps of the Marquis.
Between 2015 and 2020, the ship sailed 22,000 miles before being attacked by devastating fungus. Drydocked since 2021 in the Port of Bayonne, the frigate underwent €5 million in hull restorations. But due to a lack of sufficient funding, everything had to be halted.
In March, Hervé Blanché, mayor of Rochefort, told Le Figaro that the urban area, the city, and the department had already given a lot to the project and that they "no longer had the means to meet the cost of refloating the frigate." The mayor, who is also president of the Rochefort-Océan urban community, nevertheless signed the May 20 manifesto.
Today, there are still another 5 million to be found, including 1.5 million euros "right now," in order to restart work on the hull in September. Unfortunately, with no work to show visitors, attendance has dwindled and money has become scarce, putting the association in difficulty. Patrons are clearly not easy to mobilize, and the owner association is trying every means to attract them. It highlights the 400 volunteers involved in the adventure, as well as the hundred or so craftsmen who worked on the large frame.
According to the signatories, the project goes beyond heritage issues. "We support L'Hermione as a symbol of our heritage, peace, and freedom," they explain. The boat "embodies a certain idea of France that is dear to us, one that shines beyond the seas (...) that dares and brings people together," they continue.
By 2027, the association would like to put the frigate back in the water, so that it can continue to play its role in transmitting know-how around navigation.
lefigaro
