Leaving Baltimore on June 23, at the sound of cannon fire, the frigate made its way to Wilmington after passing through the canal connecting the Chesapeake and Delaware rivers. She found the tall ships of the "Tall Ships" there to take part in the parade organized upon her arrival in Philadelphia. A little anecdote told on the Hermione's blog, the frigate had to face a storm, as intense as it was fast as it approached its anchorage We saw the front approaching on the water, gradually turning white as the wind swept over the surface. In a few seconds, the squalls reached 55 knots, going so far as to make the boat heel between 10 and 15° even though we didn't have a sail! ...] The storm was so violent that a gigantic "roro" (for roll-on - roll-off, a cargo ship carrying cars in particular) broke all its hawsers, drifted away and ran aground at the exact spot where we were supposed to anchor a few minutes later.
Now moored in front of the Independence Seaport Museum, Yann Cariou and his crew will live intensely this unavoidable stopover. Indeed, the city of Philadelphia is closely linked to La Fayette and Hermione. The young American Congress was received on board the Hermione in May 1781, in "Philly." The city also hosts Independence Hall, the place where the treaty was signed and where, eleven years later, the Constitution of the United States was signed. And the symbols of this stopover do not stop there. Philadelphia is in Pennsylvania, the state where Benjamin Franklin, father of the Constitution, was born. The tall ships that will accompany the Hermione to New York, the next stop on the journey, will also arrive on this stage.
The Hermione will set sail for New York on June 28 to reach New York City to celebrate the July 4 festivities, the American national holiday.
Return to the Baltimore stopover
This arrival in Baltimore was a big change for the Hermione who arrived in the heart of the skyscrapers of a big city. It was on the engine, and after 3 hours of sailing, that the Hermione reached its 2 eST PRIS DANS LE GROS TEMPS, ET TANGUE DE GAUCHE ?ROITE, SECOUÉ PAR LES VAGUES. UN HOMME, SANS DOUTE UN PÊCHEUR QUI PARTICIPE À UNE SESSION DE PÊCHE SPORTIVE, PASSE PAR-DESSUS BORD, DE MANIÈRE ASSEZ IMPRESSIONNANTE. maryland stopover. Escorted by the Pride of Baltimore 2 brick, the frigate reached its welcome pontoon in the heart of the city while passing Fort Mc Henry, the place where the American anthem was played. At anchor next to the USS Constellation, the Hermione aroused the public's enthusiasm as soon as it arrived. Indeed, some of them were just waiting in line for the welcoming ceremony to be over. However, this stopover was very different from the others. The frigate is docked in the heart of the city, in Inner Harbour, the visits started slowly. " Friday was indeed a rather quiet day around the Hermione. It must be said that Baltimore recently experienced riots following the death of an African-American teenager. Although calm has returned, activity is only resuming more slowly in some areas of the city. The huge influx to the boat during the weekend (more than 3,000 visitors every day), carried by the local media in particular, certainly helped to bring people back to the area," said one resident
The crew was able to visit a little Baltimore, which they found "in the middle of the night more humane" that Washington and "its large urban spaces." "From Federal Hill to Lexington Market, the contrast is striking, although they are only a few minutes' walk apart. Undoubtedly, it was the Fells Point area that caught the attention of the entire crew. Baltimore's first deep-water port, it has the typical atmosphere of port areas, with the influence of sailors from all over the world who have passed through it. Many taverns, hotels and pubs settled here in the 18th century and music is played almost every night." we can read on the Hermione blog.
As on the other ports of call, the Americans are delighted to welcome the Hermione and her crew and reserve a more than enthusiastic welcome for them: invitations to sail, gifts..
