The Hermione Frigate in Bayonne

I recently went on a trip back in time by going to visit the Hermione frigate in the dry dock of the port of Bayonne. Hermione is a 32-gun Concorde-class frigate fitted for 12-pounder guns, completed in Rochefort by the Asselin organisation in 2014. It is a reproduction of the 1779 Hermione, which achieved fame by ferrying General La Fayette to the United States in 1780 to allow him to rejoin the American side in the American Revolutionary War.

The Hermione is a French warship in service from 1779 to the arsenal of Rochefort. She is a 12-pound Concorde-class frigate carrying 26 x 12-pounder guns and an additional 8 x 6-pounder guns. She is known for having led the Marquis de La Fayette to the United States on his second crossing in 1780, allowing him to join the American insurgents fighting for their independence.

In 1793, the Hermione was engaged in the mouth of the Loire to support the Republican troops against the Vendeans. As she left the estuary on September 20, she hit a rock and sank off Le Croisic.

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.

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. Manilla rope has been used for the majority of the rigging and the sails made of linen canvas. An engine will be used for safety, and electric generators for lighting and basic amenities.