French frigate Hermione (2014)

Hermione in Bordeaux, 13 October 2014, with the Pont de pierre in the background.
History
France
Name:	Hermione
Ordered:	1995
Builder:	Asselin at Rochefort
Laid down:	1997
Launched:	6 July 2012
General characteristics
Class & 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:[1] 26 × 12-pounder long guns main battery 6 × 6-pounder guns on the galliards

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.

Construction

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.^[2] 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 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.

2015 voyage

In preparation for a transatlantic voyage in 2015, the frigate departed from Rochefort and started her sea-worthiness trials on 7 September 2014.^[3]

In April 2015, Hermione started her return voyage to the United States.^[4] Hermione’s itinerary is meant to reaffirm the relationship between the United States and France.

Hermione welcomed in US waters by USS Mitscher.

Hermione departed from La Rochelle on 18 April 2015.^[5]

French replica light frigate Hermione at New York South Street Seaport Pier 15, 1st of July 2015

Gallery

Photographs of the reconstruction from 2005.

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Photographs of the reconstruction from 2006.

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Photographs of the reconstruction from 2009.

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  April 2009: the bulwarks have been painted, the Officers' ladder is in its place.

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  The bow of the frigate.

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  The Officers' ladder seen by the stern.

Photographs after completion

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See also

• Ship replica (including a list of ship replicas).
• Götheborg, a sailing replica of an 18th-century Swedish East Indiaman.
• Kalmar Nyckel, a replica of the 17th century merchant ship that brought Swedes to "New Sweden", the first Swedish colony in America.
• HM Bark Endeavour, a replica of the 18th century bark commanded by Lieutenant James Cook.

Bibliography

• Emmanuel de Fontainieu, Yves Gaubert, L'Hermione, de Rochefort à la gloire américaine, Editions de Monza, 2002 ISBN 978-2-908071-95-5
• Robert Kalbach, Jean-Luc Gireaud, L'Hermione, Frégate des Lumières, Dervy, 2004 ISBN 978-2-84454-319-6
• Jean-Marie Ballu, L'Hermione, l'aventure de sa reconstruction, Editions du Gerfaut, 2007 ISBN 978-2-35191-018-4
• James M. Volo, Blue Water Patriots: The American Revolution Afloat, Greenwood Publishing Group, 2007 ISBN 978-0-275-98907-1

References

1. Roche, Jean-Michel (2005). Dictionnaire des bâtiments de la flotte de guerre française de Colbert à nos jours 1. Group Retozel-Maury Millau. p. 496. ISBN 978-2-9525917-0-6. OCLC 165892922.
2. Sciolino, Elaine (August 1, 2007). "Following in Lafayette’s Footsteps, or Rather, His Wake". The New York Times. Retrieved 19 April 2015.
3. "Hermione, freedom’s frigate - Introduction - Home". Hermione.com. Retrieved 2015-06-20.
5. Schofield, Hugh (18 April 2015). "Replica 18th Century French frigate sails for US". La Rochelle: BBC News Online. Retrieved 19 April 2015.

External links

External video

French frigate to recreate Lafayette's voyage to US, France 24 2015-04-18

Replica 18th Century French frigate sails for US, BBC News, 18 April 2015

• Website of the reconstruction project
• Naval History : l'Hermione (French)
• L'Hermione - the frigate of enlightenment