"Humanity has gained its suit; Liberty will nevermore be without an asylum."                                                                                                       - Marquis de La Fayette,  in a letter to friends in 1780
 

That famous quotation, "La Fayette, we are here!", although attributed to General John Pershing in a speech at La Fayette's tomb on the fourth of July, 1917, was actually said by his aide, Charles E. Stanton.  We feel is is an apt quotation as we tell you about our visit to the site of the reconstruction of La Fayette's ship, the light frigate L'Hermione, in Rochefort, France, in September.  It is a grand vessel  being painstakingly and lovingly built in as traditional a manner as possible. Seeing the effort employed and the beauty of the ship brought us to the realization that the Marquis de La Fayette (Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier - September 6, 1757 - May 20, 1834) was an incredible man and that he is held in great esteem and reverence today in France.

The city of Rochefort on France's Atlantic coast is the same location where the original Hermione was built - in less than one year - and the current project is in its fifteenth year. The Hermione was a 45 meter, 32-gun frigate from 1779 and, one year later, carried the Marquis de La Fayette to the Colonies to join the fight against the English in the American War of Independence.  The reconstruction was conceived by members of the maritime cultural Centre International de la Mer in 1992, when the Hermione-La Fayette Association was officially formed.  After finding the best ship builder available, the actual construction began in one of the two dry docks in Rochefort on July 4, 1997. The association's founders were but a few dedicated volunteers. Today, with the addition of 'supporting members' (including us!), the organization numbers over 4,000 people.  Although it was hoped to launch L'Hermione for its voyage to the United States in 2012, limited funding for the project has delayed its completion, so the current target date to set sail is Spring of 2014.

For a small admission fee, visitors to the center are permitted entrance first to an exhibit area with large photos depicting different stages of the work already done on the Hermione.  When we were there a guide was explaining certain aspects of woodworking and maritime carpentry to a small, attentive group.  We looked into another area to see volunteers making rope - hemp rigging for the Hermione - just the way it was made in the 18th century for sailing ships, and we learned that the sails will be synthetic for endurance and to allow for a smaller crew to handle them.  There is also a theater where visitors can sit and watch an entertaining film about the project.

Several 'footbridges' are provided for visitors - one is a lower observation level where we looked down upon the talented artisan carving and chiseling the massive figurehead that will eventually adorn the bow of the Hermione.  Guided small group tours are available to those who wish to actually board the yet unfinished vessel, but we decided to watch from above on the higher level - a catwalk giving us the best overall view of the ship from stem to stern.  Visitors will appreciate the talented and dedicated artisans, including carpenters and blacksmiths, who are making this project a reality.