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MNH is the story of a group of friends who, one day, decided to get out of their respective workshops and combine their expertise and passion. In August 2008, the club Modélisme Naval Hermanville was born, in the Calvados department. Since then, they've been spreading the word about this discipline at maritime festivals and specialized shows. We met them at the Brest 2024 maritime festival.
A passionate and active association
Modélisme Naval Hermanville is a meeting place for model ship enthusiasts and the curious who want to learn more about this discipline. Each year, MNH offers a variety of activities, including demonstrations of model ships in sailing action. The club has a 6m x 10m basin for sailing models.
The Club Modélisme Naval Hermanville has a clear objective: to promote model shipbuilding by taking part in various maritime festivals. To do this, the club travels by truck, bringing with it this miniature ocean.
Two barnums can also be used to display MNH creations, immersing the public in the nautical heritage of France's coasts. Each installation showcases different types of boats and seafaring trades, sharing the riches of the nautical world with the public.
Last but not least, the club offers children an introduction to sailing. They have the chance to take the controls of scale models on a miniature ocean and leave with a mini-captain's certificate: an original approach to the maritime world that could well spark a passion for these apprentice navigators.
Wednesday school: a springboard for young people
Always in the spirit of promoting and democratizing model shipbuilding, the club has set up a school for youngsters every Wednesday. Supervised by a technology teacher, the school enables everyone aged 11 and over to discover all the stages involved in building a miniature boat, from A to Z.
Here, students learn to read plans, trace and cut out boat components, as well as as assemble, glue, treat and paint wood. They also build superstructures and install electrical and electronic equipment such as engines, controls and lighting. Each student customizes his or her own boat, learning the basics of electronics and mechanics, as well as painting and patina techniques for scale models.
Thanks to this initiative, young model-makers can approach the marine world in a fun, practical way, while enriching their knowledge and skills.
MNH shipyards: large-scale projects
Club members are working on a number of ambitious projects, faithfully reproducing iconic boats. The club's premises are equipped with specialized equipment and machine tools.
Current projects include the lifeboat SNS 091 Sainte-Anne des Flots and the lifeboat SNS 229 Côte d'Amour, both reproduced in 1/10th scale. These models, faithful to the SNSM lifeboats, are also an opportunity for MNH to honor these heroes of the seas.
The club is also working on the Marignan trawler, a 30-meter fishing boat reproduced on a 1/33rd scale: a typical boat of the great fisheries of Lorient and Concarneau, offering a detailed insight into the life of French fishermen.
Model warships such as the MSO minesweeper, and merchant ships like the Salomé oil tanker, launched at Dunkirk in 1940, are also under construction.
Each model, meticulously built by MNH, is a work of art that faithfully reproduces the essence of the original boats from the past.
