BREST: A replica of the French frigate that transported General Lafayette to America in 1780 to rally US rebels battling for independence arrived back in France on Monday after a four-month Atlantic voyage.

The Hermione and its 80-strong crew made a majestic entrance into the port of Brest in northwestern France, accompanied by a fleet of tall ships and a modern navy frigate, and met by a cheering crowd on the quay.

“Earlier, I had a tear in my eye — it’s very emotional to see her back in good condition,” said one of the onlookers, Michel, who had worked as a volunteer during the ship’s construction.

It took almost two decades and $32 million to build the exact replica of the 1,200-tonne, three-masted ship, using only 18th century shipbuilding techniques.

The Hermione finally set sail in April, waved off by President Francois Holla­nde, retracing Lafayette’s 3,700-mile journey across the Atlantic and calling at more than a dozen stops along the eastern coast of the United States and Canada.

It took part in July 4 celebrations in New York, where it led a flotilla through New York Harbour past a symbol of the two nations’ enduring friendship — the Statue of Liberty, a gift to the US from France in 1884.

Published in Dawn August 11th, 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play