Tall Ships

Greenport Tall Ships Guide: Festival runs through Tuesday

(Credit: Association Hermione-La Fayette)
(Credit: Association Hermione-La Fayette)

HERMIONE

A 145-foot replica of the French Navy frigate that carried the Marquis de Lafayette to the aid of General George Washington in America in 1780. The Hermione is considered one of the most historically accurate reconstructions ever built.

The handcrafted replica took nearly 20 years to build and made its maiden voyage to America earlier this year. The transatlantic crossing took about a month, with the ship making landfall in Yorktown, Va., in June. It is currently wrapping up a 12-city U.S. tour before setting sail back to France later this month.

The reconstruction of the ship is said to celebrate not only the courage of Lafayette, who has been dubbed the “Hero of Two Worlds,” but also the craftsmanship of the Poitou-Charentes region in western France, where the ship was built.

Lafayette, who was just 23 years old at the time of his voyage, was a key figure in the French Revolution a decade later. He returned to the United States in 1824, where he was greeted with a hero’s welcome.

The vessel is currently on display in New York City but is expected to arrive in Greenport at about 7:30 a.m. Monday, July 6, with a welcoming ceremony planned for later that morning. The ship, considered the headliner of this year’s festival, can be toured between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Monday and Tuesday.