Product Description

The French ship L’Hermione is a replica of General Lafayette’s 18th century ship that carried him to the United States from France to announce his country’s support in the fight for independence.

In 1778, in Rochefort’s arsenal, the Hermione started to be built on a construction hold near the Corderie Royale. Over 210 feet from stern to bow, with 16.000 square feet of sail spread over 3 masts, the Hermione was built according to plans by the engineer Chevillard Aîné With the Courageuse, the Concorde and the Fée, the Hermione was part of a group of 4 frigates built in Rochefort. Belonging to the category of so-called light frigates, characterized by their speed and agility, the Hermione was fitted out with 26 cannons shooting 12-pound cannonballs, hence its name “frigate of 12”. With a length of 1732 and a width of 433 the frigate took 11 months of work for one hundred carpenters, blacksmiths, drillers, caulkers and convicts for a total of more than 35,000 days of work.