Twenty months after her last trip to the United States and after a three-week stopover in La Rochelle, the Hermione set sail for a 1,080-mile voyage to Tangier, in northern Morocco. " A great sail ahead, we are lucky!" said Commander Cariou to his crew a few hours before departure. After weeks of preparation, the crew, dressed as gabiers, was ready to set sail. Eighty people listened attentively to the Commander of the frigate, including a professional crew of eighteen.
" For the first two days, the east-northeast wind should be with us! It will be perfect to get used to the rhythm of life at sea, to learn the right automatisms and to adjust the boat" announced Yann Cariou. " This ideal weather should allow us to cross the Bay of Biscay right away and reach Cape Finistere in just over forty-eight hours."
Novice gabiers...
Among the sailors on board, a third have never sailed on the Hermione and some have never even been to sea. This is the case for some of the recruits participating in the "Libres Ensemble" program of the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie. For Lydia, 29 years old, one of the four Quebecers on the voyage, this departure is a first i worked for three years on the St. Lawrence River as a deckhand on a passenger boat. I like the collective life on the water. On the Hermione, we are already a close-knit family. Now, I'm looking forward to sailing away from the coast and participating in the maneuvers An opinion shared by Soulo, 27 years old, who has just arrived from Mali. He discovered Europe in Rochefort during his training course as a gabier last November : " Our country does not have the sea... I can't wait to live on "the big ocean" and feel how the ship dances on the open sea!"
... And others, seasoned
Another third of the gabiers were trained in 2017 and have never sailed aboard the Hermione. The rest of the crew was chosen from among seasoned gabiers. " This first part of the voyage takes place in winter, in seas that are often difficult at this time of year. I therefore wanted two thirds of the sailors to be experienced. They are able to react efficiently in case of heavy weather and to supervise their new companions at sea" explained Commander Cariou, watching the crew as they adjusted the rigging, installed the last sails and loaded the supplies.
"On this first stage, what will probably be different from the other departures to come, is the temperature ;-) I have already sailed aboard the Hermione, and I would say that we are perhaps more confident than before and at the same time we have more fears, because we know more about the risks. So we are more vigilant, but more confident at the same time. On board, my role is to respond to maneuvering orders and to ensure the smooth running of the ship in the collective life. Like all the other sailors" explains Nicolas, an experienced template maker.
Direction Tangier
The Freedom Frigate is now heading towards Cape Finisterre, before skirting the Lusitanian coast and reaching the African continent with an expected arrival in the marina of Tangier on March 9 at 3 pm. This Moroccan stopover placed under the sign of the Francophonie will celebrate the two years of the movement "Libres Ensemble". Activities whose benefits will be reserved for young Tangiers: "innovation" contest for young developers, training workshops, exhibition, humor and freedom of expression "Laughing Together."
Program of the Moroccan stopover
Friday, March 9: arrival of the Hermione at 3 pm. Docking maneuvers and sea shanties.
Saturday, March 10: Anniversary of the movement "Libres ensemble" created on March 10, 2016 with the French-speaking youth of the 5 continents. Activities proposed to the young people of Tangier, in the city and on board the frigate.
Sunday, March 11 will be a special moment dedicated to schoolchildren and the general public who will be able to come and discover the history of the frigate.
Monday, March 12th a new crew of 80 people will prepare for the departure to Barcelona.
A number of local actors have joined the event: the City of Tangier and the Region of Tangier-Tetouan-El Houceïma, the Abdelmalek Essaadi University, the regional offices of UNESCO and the Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie, the French Consulate General, the French Institute, the Technopark and Renault, also based in Tangier.
