Rebuilding La Pérouse's Compass
The project is expected to be detailed at the One Ocean Summit in Brest, but it should not fail to interest maritime history enthusiasts. A reconstruction of the frigate La Boussole, the ship of the explorer Jean-François de La Pérouse, is currently being assembled. Supported by the Musée de la Marine and its director Olivier Poivre d'Arvor, the operation is not yet complete.
Its promoters envisage the construction of these large sailing ships, originally cargo ships, in Brest over a period of 6 to 7 years, with an accessible and visitable shipyard, similar to what took place for the Hermione in Rochefort.
The boat, which is capable of sailing, should then sail up the Seine to be displayed at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, opposite the Musée de la Marine.
More details on the project will be revealed shortly.
Revival of the Vanikoro wreck
La Pérouse's expedition to the South Seas and the Pacific had ended tragically. After leaving Brest in 1785, the ships and their crews had traveled many miles, discovering islands and shaping the explorer's legend. Unfortunately, they did not reach France. In 1788, La Boussole and the other ship of the expedition, L'Astrolabe, were caught in a cyclone. They were definitely lost on the island of Vanikoro in the Solomon Islands and La Pérouse died there.
It was not until 1826 that a merchant captain, Peter Dillon, found the remains of the shipwreck. Dives in the 1960s and until recently in 2009 have allowed us to learn more about these two emblematic ships of the 18th century.
