Mile:
16482 Daily: 000
Meteo: Hot and sunny. Then
rain then sun.
After breakfast and a couple
of long hot showers we are ready for the short walk again to L’Hermione. The
lady at the ticket office has a badge which proudly proclaims she speaks
English but it’s not sufficient to answer my questions about the various other
museums we wish to visit today. We buy tickets into the display area and
workshops for the ship as well as the naval museum housed at the head of the
dock.
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Jackie ringing Blighty before joining the crew. |
Rochefort since earliest times
has been associated with French Naval architecture. The dock into which
L’Hermione now floats was the first stone dock of its kind in the world. Repairs
before then were carried out on all ships by laying them on their side, working
on the up side then flipping them when complete. Then came the digging of a
large hole or grave to float the boat into, a dam was constructed behind it and
the water pumped out. The French tried this method here on the Charente River
but the banks were too soft and kept collapsing. French ingenuity decreed that
they drive down to bedrock and install pilings and build stone walls up from
there. Add a couple of gates at the end and you have the world’s first dry/wet
dock. They even added a roof over everything so that work could continue in all
weathers.
I thought it was us English. Wrong again.
The weather was very grey and overcast and we were due for some pretty heavy rain. After passing through the ticket office you entered an interpretation centre taking you through the conceptual idea and how the work was started and completed. It taking 12 years. It must be remembered that no plans existed for the Hermione and so much details were taken from models, still in existence and what information was available from historical records here and strangely in the USA. Ancient skills had to be relearnt, honed and applied. Craftsmen from all over would attend and work for weeks and months. This was all apply seen from the 'workshops' now on display as we passed down the covered walkways in a double linear approach to the ship itself.
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Carpentry skills demonstration. |
Carpentry, rope making, smithy, sail making, canons and various armaments displays were all represented. By the time we had wandered through the various informative TV monitors, display boards and video presentations the rain, which had been lashing down had now stopped. The sun was out. Just in time for Mike and Jackie to be piped aboard.
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On the gang plank looking aft. |
Upper deck. There was also a lower gun deck come living quarters. |
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Tarring of the standing rigging.
I am certain many of you have heard the expression 'Jack Tar'. This was a term used to describe men of the merchant and Royal Navy during the early days of the Empire. Remember that, when most of your school atlas was covered in red! I, although familiar with the term had never associated it with the 'tarring' of a ships ropes. OK give me a break! As soon as we stepped aboard L'Hermione it was apparent from the smell. Very distinctive, almost like creosote. Whilst studying the tarred rigging this was forcefully brought home by something hitting the top of my head. I thought, "That is unlucky, a seagull bombing me". If only. It was tar literally dripping off the overhead rigging. The crew must have recently tarred in this area above. As I looked at the red painted deck I could see numerous splodges were an overzealous matelot had applied the tar to the hemp ropes. With that another splodge hit the woman stood next to me right on her pristine white trousers. 'Oh dear' I thought and moved away. As much from any further droppings as from the rage she was venting and the scene she was causing.
Yes it is French warship, albeit a re-construction. Here I would not wish any of mon amis en France to think I'm being small minded but it lacked, to my mind any form of character. There was no tangible history or life in the ship. It is truly amazing what has been done using traditional methods as far as possible but...'it lacked soul brother Rabbit' (The Commitments)
There were of course now two engines cleverly hidden with side thrusters to facilitate docking. This was a very time consuming job in a sailing ship. There were ultra modern controls with nav systems, fire fighting installations throughout a modern galley etc these were all well hidden and blending in with deck covers and hatches etc. It had not long returned from a trans Atlantic crossing were it had visited many ports on the Eastern seaboard of the US and was well received. Now back in the very dock from where the original was conceived and built it was resting until later this summer when it sails for a trip around the Med.
It is churlish of me to say but 'This ain't no HMS Victory'.
Might we, at this juncture offer up a few verses of 'Heart of Oak' the official march of her Britannic Majesties Royal Navy. For those 'landlubbers' in our midst might I remind you of the opening verses.
'Come cheer up my lads, tis to glory we steer,
To add something more to this wonderful year,
To honour we call you, as freemen not slaves,
For who are we so free as the sons of the waves?
Chorus:
Heart of Oak are our ships,
Jolly Tars are our men,
We always are ready: Steady, boys steady!
We'll fight and we'll conquer again and again.
Composed by William Boyce words by David Garrick in 1870. In 1889 the Garrick Theatre London was named in his honour. A famous actor, play right and theatre manager.
Next we visited the French Naval Museum, again very informative. It was also housed in one of these magnificent dock buildings. This passed another couple of hours.
Jackie inspecting a stone model of Fort Boyard. Made famous by the 190's TV programme. Located not far away.
One of the model ships. Built to scale.
A re-construction of the raft of The Medusa. In 1816 this French frigate sailed from Rochefort for Senegal but ran aground near present day Mauritania. They were 60 miles from the African coast, lifeboats had already departed full but as was the case in those days many were still trapped aboard the ship. In desperation a raft was built and 160 souls set out. After 13 days adrift on 17 July 1816 it was rescued by a sister ship the Argus. Only 15 men survived. Mutiny, starvation, thirst and cannibalism had taken its toll. Today the original 23 foot by 16 foot canvas upon which this raft is based is on display in the Louvre.
All this reading about thirst and starvation made us think of lunch. We took ourselves off to La Place Colbert it was in fact the central square and here ate a rather splendid three course lunch. Not long after we wandered past the old church ofSt Louis and a few municipal gardens before heading home.
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