After 4 months of sailing in the Mediterranean at ½, the Hermione returned home to Rochefort. Despite the early hour on this Father's Day weekend - 7 a.m. - hundreds of people gathered in the Arsenal and on the banks of the Charente to see the frigate return to its home port and take place in its shape of a refit after its 2018 voyage. For this new journey, the association had chosen freedom as the name of its campaign "Libres Ensemble de l'Atlantique à la Méditerranée", conducted in partnership with the International Organisation of La Francophonie.
The ship's visits resume on June 18 for the summer season. The frigate will first be partially opened - to allow disarmament. Visitors will be able to discover this 20-year-old project that saw the birth of the replica of the La Fayette boat. For the association, it is now a question of projecting itself into the future and into new projects so that the boat can continue to sail.
A look back at 4 months of navigation ½
The Hermione left last January and has just completed its Mediterranean journey. 6,750 miles of difficult sailing and a few technical problems involving 350 volunteer gabiers - including 100 from La Francophonie - representing 34 nationalities. Nationals of 34 member states of the Francophonie, these young people came from Armenia, Canada, Egypt, Haiti, Madagascar, Mali, Moldova, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Switzerland, Tunisia, among others. They have multiple profiles: students, young professionals, doctors, entrepreneurs, workers, engineers, professors. While about a hundred gabiers had already taken part in the trip in 2016, 250 received rigorous training in 2017 for 8 days in Rochefort.
Despite the somewhat complicated weather conditions, the Hermione will have made 11 stopovers and welcomed 80,000 paying visitors wishing to discover the ship's bowels and nearly 700,000 people who came to see the ship on the quays.
Highlights of the trip to the Mediterranean
January 30, 2018 The Hermione leaves Rochefort, its home port, for the first stopover of its Voyage 2018: Free Together, from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean. Heading for La Rochelle from February 1 to 21. In the Picto-Carentais port, the International Organisation of La Francophonie celebrates mobility in all its forms
February 21, 2018 : The Hermione greets La Rochelle to set a course for Tangier. A few days after departure, the "Moscow - Paris" meteorological system generated very strong depressions and imposed caution on board. Commander Cariou decides to take the frigate and his men to safety in Fnidek Bay under Ceuta.
March 7, 2018 After ten days at sea, the Hermione arrives in Tangier after a tough navigation that the Commander will describe as a "small feat". This Moroccan stopover is under the High Patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI. In partnership with the Marrakech Festival of Laughter, the focus is on the defence of human rights, the second anniversary of Libres Ensemble and the digital and creative Francophonie.
Upon entering the Mediterranean, a minute of silence, a cannon fire and 80 small paper boats launched into the water, marked the crew's solidarity with all those who perished at sea, all those migrants who did not finish their journey
March 13, 2018 After six days of stopover in Tangier, the Hermione takes to the sea to reach Sète and its maritime festivals. Once again the weather conditions were bad for the men and the ship and the pit-stop initially planned for Barcelona on 24 and 25 March, where other exceptional sailboats were to join them for a water parade, was cancelled. Between two lows, the frigate made a direct course towards Paul Valéry's city.
March 27, 2018 : The Hermione makes a remarkable and majestic entrance into the port of Sète to participate in Escale à Sète, a maritime gathering that will bring together 400,000 visitors. She left Sète, the frigate's first stopover in the French Mediterranean on April 2, heading for Toulon.
April 12, 2018 After a stopover in Var, the Hermione arrives in Marseille for three days of stopover under the sign of La Francophonie and the desire to change the way we look at migration issues.
April 20, 2018 Weather: Weather clemency for the Hermione on her way to Port-Vendres, where she is welcomed, according to the Commander "as well as in New York" for three days of stopover.
April 25, 2018 : Nice and the French Riviera welcome the frigate in the presence of HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco. This stopover pays tribute to the victims of all the attacks and honours those who defend living together.
April 27, 2018 : Commander Cariou and the crew receive the honours of Corsica for three busy days in Bastia.
May 8, 2015 Hermione arrives in Portimao, Portugal, after leaving the Mediterranean and Gibraltar in its wake. An opportunity for the OIF to celebrate linguistic diversity.
May 23, 2018 The opposite weather conditions are further disrupting the progress of the Hermione River which arrives in Pasaia (Spain) for the first edition of the maritime festivals, a few days late. A stopover desired by all and maintained despite a forced anchorage in Vigo for safety reasons.
June 8, 2018 For the third time since its launch, the replica of the frigate La Fayette returns to Bordeaux. A still strong passage in the neo-Aquitaine city, after an anchorage on June 1st and 2nd in Saint-Jean-de-Luz. For this last stopover of Voyage 2018, the OIF is celebrating the strength of entrepreneurship in the French-speaking world and the values of Libres Ensemble carried out with Cartooning for Peace.
June 17, 2018 After four and a half months at sea and meeting people, the Hermione returned to Rochefort, her home port.
