La Calypso cousteau's famous oceanographic vessel, had been in a hangar at the Piriou Naval Service shipyard in Concarneau since 2007, undergoing a complete restoration. In 2009, the work was suspended, with Equipe Cousteau and The Cousteau Society claiming that the shipyard had carried out faulty work. Piriou, for its part, complained of additional, costly work not provided for in the contract. No further work had been carried out since that date.
A first court decision on appeal
In October 2013, the Quimper Commercial Court ordered the Cousteau Association to move Calypso within 4 months, subject to a fine of ?1,000 per day of delay, and to pay ?100,000 for work already carried out. Piriou was also ordered to reimburse ?138,000 for overpayments. The yard and the association decided to appeal.
Piriou wins its case
On December 9, the Rennes Court of Appeal ruled in favor of the Piriou shipyards. The Cousteau Society must take charge of moving the Calypso before February 9, and also pay compensation of ?2,850 per month from September 2013 until the vessel is withdrawn. Work already carried out on the boat, worth ?273,000, will also have to be settled. The president of Piriou Naval service stated in a press release " This decision is a great relief for us, but leaves us with a deep taste of bitterness" . This decision " puts an end to six years of fruitless bickering" but leaves " a deep taste of bitterness in view of the energies and resources we have deployed, in vain, to restore Calypso. Her fate is no longer our responsibility, and it's up to her owner to find her a new home port as quickly as possible."
Calypso, Captain Cousteau's iconic ship
Visit Calypso was an oceanographic vessel, used by Commander Cousteau from 1950 to 1996, to carry out scientific maritime explorations in all the world's oceans. Originally a minesweeper, the vessel was transformed by Cousteau into an expedition ship, as well as a support base for diving, filming and oceanographic research.
Credit: flickr.com/photos/yuped/
