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It's been a while since I have posted an update on L'Hermione, that's mainly because not a lot has been going on. She safely made it back in to her dry dock on December 5'th after the mud that had been built up in her absence during sea trials had finally been removed. Apparently there was a strike by some of the workers and that is what led to the mud not being removed sooner, causing the delay.
Since then, she has been undergoing quite a bit of maintenance during workshops designed to both teach the crew and repair the ship. A lot of the repair work was on the yards, masts and rigging. As well as other parts of the ship like the deck and re-caulking. Her sails were removed before she even made it back to port, and they have been undergoing repairs, as well as re-sewing to strengthen certain areas of the canvas. You can read a bit more and see some pictures on their blog, you can read the Google Translated version HERE!
She will be hosting tours through the winter, and work has also begun on the Stern Lantern, which will be completed before she sets out again for training in March. You can see some great pictures of the frame being constructed over on their blog HERE! I am really hoping someone posts a Youtube video of not only the construction of this beautiful lantern, but it being put in place on her aft rail as well!
It isn't exactly all smooth sailing while sitting in the dry dock though. During the work to remove the mud blocking the entrance, small bits of gravel got wedged in the seals, and there was also a bit of damage to the masonry surrounding the seal area. I am certainly no expert on dry docs or French, so I may have misunderstood a bit. What this all means though is that water is leaking in and out of the dry dock and L'Hermione is rising and falling with the tides. At low tide, she is actually resting in the mud! According to the article I read, one of the Rochefort engineers said it was "Nothing to worry about for the frigate" You can read that translated article HERE!
Speaking of her next voyage, she is currently scheduled to leave her dry dock on March 19'th and make a quick 10 day stop in La Pallice. She will be open to the public one last time before she departs for America on April 4'th to the 6'th. I won't go through the full itinerary again here, but you can get it for yourself a couple of places. One is from their official webpage, the other is in the for of a brochure they have posted on the French site Clameo, the English version is HERE! You need to have Javascript enabled. There is some really great information and pictures in the brochure!
World Cruises Travel will be offering a Frech – American Friendship Cruise aboard the SS VEENDAM, a ship from Holland America Cruise Lines. The cruise will start in Boston on July 11'th, cruise up the East Coast of New England and end in Quebec City, Canada on July 18'th. You can find out much more information about that cruise HERE!
Other than a mention or two on a couple of Tall Ship websites, I still haven't seen any organized event plans form anyone in the US! I know there will be some Tall Ship Regatta's in New York, and she will sail by the Statue of Liberty on July 4'th, but other than the names of the other city's she will visit, that is about it. Needless to say, as some of you can probably tell by some of the previous posts I have made, I am very disappointed in the way Americans seem to be reacting to this visit. The best I have been able to get out of people that I have actually talked to about it was ”Oh, that's neat.” I am seriously hoping that I am just really bad at searching using Google and that my horrendous people skills that are at fault for not inducing anything other than mild acknowledgment in the rest of my fellow citizens!
I reckon that is about it for now, though there is one more thing I would like to mention, but sincerely wish there was no need to do so. They have lowered the ships flag to honor those killed in the recent terrorist attacks in France, and to show support and solidarity. You can see a picture on the twitter account with the hashtag #JeSuisCharlie!
Since then, she has been undergoing quite a bit of maintenance during workshops designed to both teach the crew and repair the ship. A lot of the repair work was on the yards, masts and rigging. As well as other parts of the ship like the deck and re-caulking. Her sails were removed before she even made it back to port, and they have been undergoing repairs, as well as re-sewing to strengthen certain areas of the canvas. You can read a bit more and see some pictures on their blog, you can read the Google Translated version HERE!
She will be hosting tours through the winter, and work has also begun on the Stern Lantern, which will be completed before she sets out again for training in March. You can see some great pictures of the frame being constructed over on their blog HERE! I am really hoping someone posts a Youtube video of not only the construction of this beautiful lantern, but it being put in place on her aft rail as well!
It isn't exactly all smooth sailing while sitting in the dry dock though. During the work to remove the mud blocking the entrance, small bits of gravel got wedged in the seals, and there was also a bit of damage to the masonry surrounding the seal area. I am certainly no expert on dry docs or French, so I may have misunderstood a bit. What this all means though is that water is leaking in and out of the dry dock and L'Hermione is rising and falling with the tides. At low tide, she is actually resting in the mud! According to the article I read, one of the Rochefort engineers said it was "Nothing to worry about for the frigate" You can read that translated article HERE!
Speaking of her next voyage, she is currently scheduled to leave her dry dock on March 19'th and make a quick 10 day stop in La Pallice. She will be open to the public one last time before she departs for America on April 4'th to the 6'th. I won't go through the full itinerary again here, but you can get it for yourself a couple of places. One is from their official webpage, the other is in the for of a brochure they have posted on the French site Clameo, the English version is HERE! You need to have Javascript enabled. There is some really great information and pictures in the brochure!
World Cruises Travel will be offering a Frech – American Friendship Cruise aboard the SS VEENDAM, a ship from Holland America Cruise Lines. The cruise will start in Boston on July 11'th, cruise up the East Coast of New England and end in Quebec City, Canada on July 18'th. You can find out much more information about that cruise HERE!
Other than a mention or two on a couple of Tall Ship websites, I still haven't seen any organized event plans form anyone in the US! I know there will be some Tall Ship Regatta's in New York, and she will sail by the Statue of Liberty on July 4'th, but other than the names of the other city's she will visit, that is about it. Needless to say, as some of you can probably tell by some of the previous posts I have made, I am very disappointed in the way Americans seem to be reacting to this visit. The best I have been able to get out of people that I have actually talked to about it was ”Oh, that's neat.” I am seriously hoping that I am just really bad at searching using Google and that my horrendous people skills that are at fault for not inducing anything other than mild acknowledgment in the rest of my fellow citizens!
I reckon that is about it for now, though there is one more thing I would like to mention, but sincerely wish there was no need to do so. They have lowered the ships flag to honor those killed in the recent terrorist attacks in France, and to show support and solidarity. You can see a picture on the twitter account with the hashtag #JeSuisCharlie!
