‘Now or never' to save replica of American revolutionary war vessel, say French campaigners
The copy of L'Hermione, a three-mast, 32-gun frigate that carried the Marquis de Lafayette across the Atlantic to announce France's support for American independence from Great Britain in the revolutionary war, has been in dry dock at Anglet, near Bayonne, since its oak hull was found to be riddled with fungus four years ago.
Campaigners have raised €5m (£4.3m) to replace part of the rotted structure but say they need another €5m to make the vessel seaworthy again. Despite launching an appeal two years ago, the funds have not been found.
A fresh plea for the remaining funds comes as relations between France and the US enter a stormy period after Donald Trump's threat to impose a 30% tariff on goods from the European Union.
Emilie Beau, the executive director of the Hermione-La Fayette Association, told the Guardian: 'We need a generous patron and we now have very little time to find one. It has been three years in dry dock and its 1,200 tonnes of wood needs to be in sea water and not dry.
'We have been dampening the hull, but this could lead to the development of even more fungus. We're hoping that if someone comes forward with the funds, we could restart work to repair the hull in September, with a view to sailing again in 2027.'
The replica of L'Hermione, which took 17 years to build and cost €26m, was launched in 2015 and sailed to New York where it was greeted by an enthusiastic crowd.
In 1780, the original ship made the voyage to America to help the revolutionaries led by George Washington in the war of independence. Onboard was Lafayette, Louis XVI's personal envoy to the man who would later become the first US president. Lafayette disembarked in Boston and rode to Washington's headquarters to deliver his message of French aid to the rebels.
L'Hermione – nicknamed the 'Ship of Liberty' – spent two years battling the British naval blockade before returning to France. In 1793, she ran aground off western France and sank. The wreck was discovered in 1984.
In 1992 a group of maritime history enthusiasts set up the Hermione-La Fayette Association to oversee the construction of a replica of the 66-metre-long ship at the former royal shipyard at Rochefort, using historic techniques but to modern standards to enable the ship to be certified to sail.
The plans for L'Hermione had been lost, but her sister ship the Concorde had been captured by the British navy in the 1790s, and detailed drawings and measurements of the vessel, a jigsaw of more than 400,000 pieces of wood and iron, were found at the Admiralty in London.
Unlike the original, the replica has modern navigation equipment and electric motors for manoeuvring in and out of ports. It was also fitted with showers and toilets, as opposed to a plank of wood with holes in it near the prow that the original crew would have used. The replica cannon are fake; otherwise, it would be classed as a warship and come under the control of the French navy.
Sign up to Headlines Europe
A digest of the morning's main headlines from the Europe edition emailed direct to you every week day
after newsletter promotion
In 2021, L'Hermione was due to visit the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and the UK, including sailing up the Thames, but after going into dry dock for maintenance before setting sail, workers discovered that the wood at the bow and stern was infested with lenzites and cellar polypore, both wood-decaying fungi.
'What we know about these fungi is that they existed in the 18th century, but back then it took six months to build a ship, and if one didn't come back or rotted, they just built another. Obviously, we cannot do that,' Beau said. 'We want to build a ship that lasts longer than they did at the time.'
The association has issued a new international appeal for funds, saying it is 'now or never' to save the ship.
'About 10% of the hull wood was damaged; we have replaced the wood in the rear part but now we urgently need €5m to complete the work,' Beau said. 'L'Hermione is a symbolic, historical ship. It is not only a chef-d'oeuvre of technical achievement but it was called the frigate of liberty and carried the values of freedom and solidarity between peoples.
'Today it is a symbol of peace and humanity, and in the current difficult period our countries are going through, it represents diplomatic relations and common values. We don't want to lose that.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
14 minutes ago
- The Independent
This is no time for Britain to recognise Palestine
Although some 140 nations now recognise Palestine as a sovereign state, France is the first G7 member to take this decisive, historic step. It is, in truth, a purely symbolic move, given the savage reaction to it in Tel Aviv and the contemptuous statement in response issued by the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio. It comes as Gaza is stalked by famine, something that has moved emotions across the world, though Emmanuel Macron did not specifically mention the starvation crisis taking the lives of innocent civilians. The French president clearly believes that, at this juncture, some dramatic gesture is necessary, and it will be formally declared by him at the United Nations General Assembly next month. In many quarters, it will be warmly welcomed. It also adds to the growing domestic political pressure on Sir Keir Starmer to follow suit. But the arguments are more finely balanced than is sometimes apparent to people on all sides of this issue. For the moment – and at this particular moment, when Donald Trump is arriving in Scotland for informal talks with the prime minister – the UK should not follow the example of the French. Given Sir Keir's unusually warm personal relationship with President Trump, he is at least more likely than the French president to be able to exert some pressure on the Americans to persuade Israel to end the hunger, arrange a ceasefire, and set the initial conditions for progress towards peace, unlikely as that may feel now. Had the British government immediately recognised full Palestinian statehood, Mr Trump would probably have addressed Sir Keir in similar, if not earthier, terms to those used by Secretary Rubio about the French: 'This reckless decision only serves Hamas propaganda and sets back peace. It is a slap in the face to the victims of October 7th.' As a matter of fact, the diplomatic recognition of Palestine by France and other countries has been prompted more by the way in which Israel has conducted its war in Gaza, and failed to control illegal settlement in the West Bank, than by any desire to appease Hamas terrorists. If, in other words, Israel's military invasion had concluded by, say, the end of 2023, and there'd been no famine or systematic destruction of civilian infrastructure, France and the others would not have felt impelled to 'do something'; to recognise Palestine while there is still something to recognise. And President Macron was careful to make his announcement to Palestine's president Mahmoud Abbas and the Palestinian Authority, and not to Hamas. He also, correctly, demanded the return of the hostages. Britain was the last colonial power in Palestine, and for Britain to recognise its independence would, arguably, have a particular political impact. But it would not, realistically, make much difference on the ground today. Bluntly, it would not save the life of a single Palestinian infant suffering from chronic malnutrition, whereas pressure from President Trump on Tel Aviv at least carries some prospect of opening up access for humanitarian aid. Such limited diplomatic leverage as post-Brexit Britain possesses in this region must of necessity be used to the best advantage of the people of Palestine. So, heartbreaking as the striking images coming out of Gaza undoubtedly are – and they stand as prima facie evidence of war crimes – Sir Keir should resist the pressure to take this step, because it would make zero difference now, and could well make matters worse. Gestures that bring change and are well-timed are more useful to the Palestinians than are the futile variety. That said, the prime minister will find it difficult to manage his party on this issue, once the Commons reassembles and he must face the Labour conference. A substantial number of his backbench MPs have already openly declared that the UK must recognise Palestine. This sentiment is reflected in other parties, including among some Conservatives, as is also evidenced in the latest report by the foreign affairs select committee. Some of Sir Keir's senior colleagues, such as Wes Streeting and Peter Kyle, have made little secret of their own impatience about the recognition of Palestinian statehood. The foreign secretary, David Lammy, may not be far behind; he is plainly exhausted by having to stick to the government's line. The trend points to Sir Keir being defeated on the Palestine question in the Commons and at his own party conference. Given that diplomacy sits firmly within the royal prerogative, such votes cannot force him to do anything, outside making an extraordinary 'humble address' to the monarch to instruct his ministers to do so. Yet such manoeuvrings would weaken his already diminished authority further. In defence, Sir Keir can also point to the text of the Labour manifesto commitment, much referred to, which is deliberately ambiguous and does not pledge immediate recognition: 'We are committed to recognising a Palestinian state as a contribution to a renewed peace process which results in a two-state solution with a safe and secure Israel alongside a viable and sovereign Palestinian state.' For the moment, the prime minister is not alone in the G7 – Germany has also declined to join with France – and he does have support in the House, including from most of the Conservatives. However, on Palestine, as with welfare reform and much else, he will need to work harder than ever this autumn to win the argument.
The Independent
14 minutes ago
- The Independent
UK, France and Germany tell Israel to lift restrictions on aid in Gaza
Britain, France, and Germany have jointly demanded that Israel immediately lift restrictions on the flow of aid into Gaza to alleviate the severe hunger crisis. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has resisted calls for immediate recognition of a Palestinian state, asserting it must be a step within a broader pathway to peace and a two-state solution. This position follows France's decision to recognise Palestine and comes amid pressure from 221 cross-party MPs and divisions within Sir Keir's own cabinet. Sir Keir described the situation in Gaza as 'appalling' and 'unrelenting,' condemning Israel's 'disproportionate military escalation' and the denial of humanitarian aid as 'indefensible'. Separately, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Israel is considering 'alternative options' to ceasefire talks with Hamas, blaming the group for obstructing a hostage release deal.
The Guardian
15 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Cabinet ministers and third of MPs call on Starmer to recognise state of Palestine
Keir Starmer is under intense pressure from his most senior cabinet ministers and more than a third of MPs to move faster on recognising a Palestinian state in response to Israel withholding aid to starving civilians in Gaza. Angela Rayner, the deputy prime minister, and Yvette Cooper, the home secretary, are understood to be among ministers who believe the government should take the lead on Palestinian statehood alongside France. The prime minister is facing a growing clamour to take action amid the international outcry over Israel's actions, with charities saying that cases of severe malnutrition among children under five in Gaza City have tripled in the last two weeks. The UK, France and Germany said on Friday afternoon that the Gaza 'humanitarian catastrophe must end now' and called on Israel to 'immediately lift restrictions on the flow of aid'. 'Withholding essential humanitarian assistance to the civilian population is unacceptable,' they said in a joint statement. Starmer said after a call with Emmanuel Macron, the French president, and Friedrich Merz, the German chancellor, that the 'continued captivity of hostages, the starvation and denial of humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people, the increasing violence from extremist settler groups, and Israel's disproportionate military escalation in Gaza are all indefensible'. He said he was 'unequivocal' in his support of recognising a Palestinian state but said 'it must be part of a wider plan which ultimately results in a two-state solution and lasting security for Palestinians and Israelis'. 'This is the way to ensure it is a tool of maximum utility to improve the lives of those who are suffering – which of course, will always be our ultimate goal.' The statement came as Donald Trump flew into Scotland for a four-day visit to his golf resorts. Macron upped the pressure on Starmer this week by announcing that France would recognise a Palestinian state at the UN general assembly in September. Starmer is due to meet the US president on Monday. Trump on Friday dismissed Macron's move by saying it 'doesn't carry weight' and is 'not going to change anything'. The UK government's policy is that it will formally acknowledge Palestine as part of a peace process, but only in conjunction with other western countries and 'at the point of maximum impact'. Cooper and Rayner are among more than half a dozen cabinet ministers who are pressing for urgent action. The Guardian revealed this week that Wes Streeting, the health secretary, Shabana Mahmood, the justice secretary, and Hilary Benn, the Northern Ireland secretary, have all pushed for recognition of Palestine at recent cabinet meetings. Ian Murray, the Scotland secretary, and Jo Stevens, the Wales secretary, have also brought up the issue in cabinet, according to a cabinet source. Murray and Stevens declined to comment. Lisa Nandy, the culture secretary, is also said to have called for action, and Lammy is said by colleagues to be pushing Downing Street to take a stronger stance. A government source said it was increasingly 'everybody versus No 10'. 'Too many people in No 10 just see this as a 'left' issue and actually don't get how widespread public anger is,' a Labour source said. Rayner issued a warning last month by saying that the West needed to avoid repeating past mistakes when it came to Gaza. Addressing a service at St Paul's Cathedral to mark the 30th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide, where more than 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys were killed by Serbian forces in 1995, she said: 'The West took too long to act in the 1990s and we should have acted sooner. Now we must learn the lessons of history and the consequences of inaction.' On Friday 221 MPs from nine political parties across the Commons signed a letter to Lammy calling for British recognition of Palestine to be announced next week at a UN conference in New York. Sign up to Headlines UK Get the day's headlines and highlights emailed direct to you every morning after newsletter promotion 'Whilst we appreciate the UK does not have it in its power to bring about a free and independent Palestine, UK recognition would have a significant impact due to our historic connections and our membership on the UN security council,' the MPs wrote. 'British recognition of Palestine would be particularly powerful given its role as the author of the Balfour Declaration and the former Mandatory Power in Palestine. Since 1980 we have backed a two-state solution. Such a recognition would give that position substance as well as living up to a historic responsibility we have to the people under that Mandate.' The letter's signatories included several Labour select committee chairs including Emily Thornberry of foreign affairs, Sarah Champion of international development and Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi of defence. Other signatories included Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey, Green party co-leaders Carla Denyer and Adrian Ramsay, the SNP's Westminster leader Stephen Flynn and Conservative MPs Kit Malthouse and Edward Leigh. The true number of backbench Labour MPs who support recognition is even higher. Several told the Guardian that they were in favour the move but did not put their names to the letter. 'We need to do more. Israel is committing terrible war crimes,' one Labour MP said. Nearly 60 Labour MPs signed a similar letter to Lammy earlier this month. The medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières said that cases of severe malnutrition among children under five at its Gaza City clinic have tripled in the last two weeks and the UN World Food Programme said nearly a third of people in Gaza were not eating for days, with the hunger crisis had reached 'new and astonishing levels of desperation'. Israel said it would allow foreign countries to resume aid drops into Gaza from Friday. The UN secretary general, António Guterres, accused the international community of sticking its head in the sand as Palestinians starved in Gaza, lambasting what he called a 'lack of humanity'. 'This is not just a humanitarian crisis. It is a moral crisis that challenges the global conscience. We will continue to speak out at every opportunity,' he said on Friday.
