In the summer of 2021, the Hermione enters the dry dock at La Pallice, the commercial port of La Rochelle, to have its antifouling redone. The workers discover planks that seem very flexible. A small patch on the back of the boat is applied before considering a more in-depth inspection. The boat is now in sailing configuration, with its guns and masts. She is too heavily loaded to enter the Rochefort dry dock where she was born, some 10 years ago.
Dry docked in Anglet
The decision was made to go down to Bayonne, exactly to Anglet on the Adour, where a large enough dry dock, especially a deep enough one, could accommodate this historic vessel. At this time, the extent of the work is not imagined. The Hermione enters the dry dock at the beginning of winter 2021. She is still there today, almost 1.5 years later.
Many parts replaced
We were able to visit the shipyard and discover the work of the carpenters on the hull. In the end, the rear 2/3 of the hull, as well as part of the bow, were attacked by fungi. In order to develop, these fungi take advantage of humid areas that are not completely submerged. This is particularly the case in the bottom of the hull, between the floors and the couples. These areas have enough air to be ventilated, but are constantly in the water.
The carpenters' job, after testing all the parts to determine which ones to change, is to replace them. This time, the wood used is treated with fungicide. This frame is entirely made of oak and is replaced by wood of the same species. But some parts cannot be replaced without starting the construction of the boat from scratch. This is the case of the keel, a piece too big and too heavy to be handled inside. It will therefore be made of glued laminated timber, directly inside the boat. We can see here the complexity of the construction site as well as the ingenuity of the carpenters in their work.
A stripped frigate
Today the frigate is completely disarmed. The 3 masts as well as the bowsprit are on land. The hull is supported by numerous props so that it does not deform. To keep the watertightness in place, this caulked hull is regularly sprayed with water from the Adour river. This is not ideal, as it is fresh water, but it is better than letting it dry.
Money, the nerve of the war
The work continues at the rhythm of the financial contributions. Indeed, just as during construction, it is finance that dictates the pace of work. The companies of Le Guip and Asselin who are in charge of the framework would be ready to go faster, butâeuros¦
The end of the project is not yet announced, even if internally it is not expected before 2024âeuros¦ The visits of the construction site, open to the public, allow to finance the reconstruction of this emblematic frigate.
