French frigate Hermione (2012)
2014 September 17th, Hermione replica comes off the Charente river, and reach open sea for the first time.
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| History | |
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 France
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| Name: | Hermione |
| Ordered: | 1995 |
| Builder: | Asselin at Rochefort |
| Laid down: | 1997 |
| Launched: | 6 July 2012 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Concorde-class 12-pounder frigate |
| Displacement: | 1,166 tons |
| Length: | 65 m (213 ft) |
| Beam: | 11.24 m (36.9 ft) |
| Height: | 177 feet |
| Draught: | 5.78 m (19.0 ft) |
| Propulsion: | Sails, auxiliary engine |
| Sail plan: | full-rigged ship |
| Complement: | 72 |
| Armament: | 32 (non-functional replica) guns:
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 French frigate to recreate Lafayette's voyage to US, France 24 2015-04-18 |
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Replica 18th Century French frigate sails for US, BBC News, 18 April 2015 |
The Hermione is a 32-gun Concorde-class frigate fitted for 12-pounder guns, completed in Rochefort by the Asselin organisation in 2014. She is a reproduction of the 1779 Hermione, which achieved fame by ferrying General Lafayette to the United States in 1780 to allow him to rejoin the American side in the American Revolutionary War.
This project was conceived by members of the Centre International de la Mer in 1992, and construction began in 1997, envisaging a launch in April 2015 (as compared to the original, which took less than a year to build).
The shipyard was in one of the two dry docks beside the Corderie Royale at Rochefort.
As far as possible, traditional construction methods were used although modern power tools were substituted for the period tools on some jobs. The site is open to the public, and admission fees help fund the project.
English plans of a sister ship, Concorde, were used. The cost was estimated to be $22 million. The original plans had been modified in several ways for reasons of strength and safety: planks had been bolted rather than pegged to avoid movement during the long period of construction. Similarly, the mast sections were fastened with glue rather than metal hoops to avoid water penetration. The cannons are lightweight and non-functional to save weight, and for legal and safety reasons. Hemp rigging was used, and the sails made of linen.
An engine will be used for safety, and electric generators for lighting and basic amenities.
In preparation for a transatlantic voyage in 2015, the frigate departed from Rochefort and started her seaworthiness trials on 7 September 2014.
In April 2015, Hermione started her return voyage to the United States.Hermione’s itinerary is meant to reaffirm the relationship between the United States and France.
Hermione departed from La Rochelle on 18 April 2015.
On 2 February 2018, Hermione will undertake another voyage leaving Rochefort for the Mediterranean with 11 stopovers including Tangier, Sète, Marseille and Toulon.
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Wikipedia