After close to two decades of construction, the frigate Hermione is finally under sail. In 1997, a group of historical and tall ship enthusiasts formed the Association Hermione-La Fayette and set about building a replica of the French frigate, Hermione, which carried Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette, across the Atlantic in 1780 to join the American rebels in their struggle for independence.
The original Hermione was built in eleven months in 1779, in Rochefort, France by the shipwright Henri Chevillard. The replica took seventeen years in what proved to be part shipbuilding project and part living history museum. While observing the requirements of current safety regulations, the shipyard used primarily 18th century shipbuilding techniques and invited visitors to learn about the process. The 25 million euro cost of the project was largely financed by 3.7 million visitors to the shipyard during the years of construction. The Hermione Association has attracted artisan craftsmen from all over the world and now has close to 8,000 members.
The Hermione is currently undergoing sea-trials. You can follow her progress on the Blog de l’Hermione. In 2015, they plan to sail the frigate across the Atlantic to America with port calls in Yorktown, Mount Vernon, Philadelphia, New York and Boston. The Hermione‘s final stop on the voyage will be in Castine, Maine on Bastille Day.
The were two well known frigates named Hermione, which served in the later part of the 18th century. The French l’ Hermione, built in 1779, earned the nickname “freedom’s frigate” for carrying the Marquis de Lafayette with the news that the government of France would support General Washington and the American revolution.
The other frigate, HMS Hermione, built in 1783, became a synonym for brutality, mutiny, and murder. Under the command of the cruel and inept Captain Hugh Pigot, HMS Hermione was the scene of the bloodiest mutiny in British history.
Hourra!
I realize that with 8000 members odf the Society, my chance of ever getting aboard as a crew member would be very slim, but I am instantly in love with that frigate! I would do a lot to get aboard her. Is there any possibility?
Don,
Hard to say what your chances might be. Here is their contact information:
Address: Dockyard – Admiral Dupont Place – BP 70177-17308 Rochefort Cedex – France
Email: info@hermione.com
Tel : +33 (0) 5-46-82-07-07
Fax: + 33 (0) 5-46-82-07-17
My son and I are both scuba diver’s and would like to cruise on the frigate during a month in summer of 2015. If you are involved with any type of marine research we would be very excited. We live in Lafayette La, and I’m from New Orleans, so we are both very interested in the Marquis’s hx.