Joshua, stranded again, but on land!
Those familiar with the history of Joshua, the mythical sailboat on which Bernard Moitessier raced the 1st edition of the Golden Globe, non-stop single-handed round the world race in 1968 They know how he resisted the beating. Found stranded on a beach in Mexico, he had finally been restored and bought back by the City of La Rochelle .
Sailing thanks to members of the Association of Friends of the Maritime Museum of La Rochelle (AAMMLR), he has sailed many miles since his return to France in 1990. Yet 2019 marked a halt to these sailings. Following a difficult maneuver resulting in a tip in the propeller, the City of La Rochelle, owner of the boat, requested that it be put on dry land for examination of the shaft line. Since then, the hull has not known the taste of sea water. Joshua found himself stranded again.
Work postponed for too long
Taking advantage of her exit from the water, the hull was sandblasted and soundings were taken to determine the thickness of the steel plates. The weakness of certain areas required work. The interiors are partly dismantled . Unfortunately the process stops, probably slowed down by the complex legal framework around the Joshua: property of the city, it is managed by the Maritime Museum of La Rochelle which entrusts the small maintenance and navigation to the AAMMLR. "Between the end of 2019 and July 2021, nothing happened! In particular, there was change at the Museum which did not speed things up. The city has finally written a specification for the work and it has just been validated. Unfortunately, at best the work could start in 2022 and the boat will probably not be ready for the start of the GGR 2022 (Editor's note: race commemorating the historic Golden Globe, placed under the sign of Moitessier for the 2022 edition). It's a shame. Too much time has been lost" explains a member of the association.
No certainty on the budget
If the specifications are established, the question of the budget remains open. Given the scope of the structural work, the investment should be at least a few hundred thousand euros. If the classification of the sailboat as a historical monument should allow partial financing by the Regional Directorate of Cultural Affairs, the city will have to finance part of it. The set-up has not yet been established, but there is no doubt that Moitessier's lovers will not let this boat rust on land any longer. To be continued...
