A familiar replica of large gatherings
Most of the amateurs of maritime heritage gatherings will have crossed the path of the Notre-Dame de Béquerel. The others will have admired it on Jean-Marie Liot's photo, declined in poster and all kinds of souvenirs of Brittany, which present it under its best day in the gully of Port-Navalo, at the exit of the Gulf of Morbihan. Like many replicas of workboats, this typical sailboat from Le Bono was born during the competition of the boats of the coasts and rivers of France, launched in 1988 by the Chasse-Marée for the Brest 92 meeting. Supported by the association le Forban du Bono, the project gave rise to extensive documentary research. They led to the launching of the boat in the summer of 1991, named after a local chapel, and based on the memories of the elders, supported by postcards, a certificate of measurement of the last forban built in Le Bono in 1918 and a sketch of a sample.
The Notre-Dame de Béquerel, with its 10 meters of hull and 15.50 meters of overall length, built by the Guip shipyard and the AFPA of Auray, is now a Boat of Heritage Interest.
High performance fishing boats
The Gulf of Morbihan is home to a maritime activity that has been anchored for centuries. If we often know the Sinagots, sailboats from the port of Séné near Vannes, the forbans of Bono are less famous. The origin of the name is not completely clear. Is it the speed of the boat, or the cunning of some crews taking advantage of the maneuvering qualities of their sailboats? In any case, the forbans of Le Bono ended up designating both the inhabitants of the town nestled on the river Sal, a stone's throw from Auray, and their boats, two-masted longboats with a mainsail and a foresail in thirds, complete with a jib on the bowsprit. The Notre-Dame de Béquerel carries 103 square meters of sails for its 9 tons of displacement.
Bonovists fish with trawls. After an early season concentrated around the Bay of Quiberon, they move to more distant ports in June. They can be found all along the coast, from Le Croisic to Le Pouliguen, passing through Saint-Nazaire and sometimes beyond, depending on the wind and the fish. They fish for all types of fish, skate or sole, as well as shellfish which are abundant. The fish markets connected to the railroads facilitate marketing.
Hundreds of pirates in the 20th century
If the construction of sailing ships began at the end of the 18th century in Le Bono, the golden period of the forbans of Le Bono corresponds to the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. Built locally and for a time in Concarneau, there were up to 100 sailing ships in the small port. A number difficult to imagine for today's yachtsman who knows the Breton port as a stopover. Little by little, the type of boat evolved, the hollow sailboat giving way to the decked sloop before sail fishing came to an end.
The pleasure of traditional navigation
Thanks to the Notre-Dame de Béquerel, the forbans are back on the water. The association continues to sail the sailboat launched in 1991, embracing the local population and participating in major maritime heritage events.
