It is one of the oldest ships in the world, the oldest seaworthy European three-masted ship. 58 meters from stern to bow, steel hull and wooden decks, a large mast which rises to 38 meters high, 22 sails and a sinuous intertwining of ropes (approximately 22 km!).
First boat classified as a Historic Monument, the White128 years old, impressive. This summer, it was he who brought the Olympic flame from Greece to Marseille: the lantern is still carefully preserved on board.
“We are currently carrying out work by hand and in the old-fashioned way”
Since October, this jewel of maritime heritage has been moored in the trawlers' basin, in the city center of La Rochelle. On board, a reduced crew of six people, including Commander Aymeric Gibet. “The dismasting, planned for January at the port of La Pallice, will give us access to the upper part of the shroud. We are currently carrying out old-fashioned hand work, with specific mallets, on the steel cables. They are sheathed in leather, coated with protective paint before being reinstalled,” explains the owner of the place.
Mechanical overhauls in the engine room, maintenance of wood and varnish, application of anti-corrosive paint, creation of custom joinery… All this work contributes to the beauty and routine maintenance of the ship, at the dock for at least five months per year. “So that the White can continue to navigate the coming century, we must also anticipate and plan for more serious restructuring phases. »
Next winter, an intervention on the bottom of the rear hull, whose structure is threatened by rust and water infiltration, is notably scheduled. A call for donations was launched in the fall. Because it was launched in 1896 in Nantes, the White undergoes the natural wear and tear of a large sailing ship more than a century old and still in operation.
From chocolate to Italian sailors
He has already lived several lives. It was first a merchant ship, responsible for bringing cocoa on behalf of the Menier chocolate factories from the Portuguese trading post which gave it its name.
In 1914, it changed its vocation, bought by the Duke of Westminster who made it his private yacht and fitted it out accordingly. The captain's lounge is still adorned with the original furniture in Cuban mahogany, a precious wood that cannot be found today, as is the large coachroof, with its lyre staircase and double mahogany door.
The ship then passed from the Guinness brewing family to an Italian count who, in the 1950s, turned it into a training ship. Put up for sale in a Venetian shipyard at the end of the 1970s, it is recognized by a enthusiast of old rigging.
The Savings Bank bought him and brought him back to France with the help of the French Navy. In 1980, she created the Belem Foundation, which became its patron and has since ensured its conservation.
Installation in April
“Our mission is to preserve the archaeological value of the ship and transmit our know-how”summarizes Aymeric Gibet. The ship's annual operating budget amounts to more than 3 million euros. The courses, open to all, generate revenue. THE White takes on board around 1,400 people each year: for a few days, 48 apprentice sailors come to share the life of the 16 crew members and participate in the multiple maneuvers.
No autopilot Whitepaper maps and “driving the rigging like 100 years ago”…A hell of a human adventure! The ship will leave the port of La Rochelle in April for the first of 27 sailings scheduled for 2025. Throughout the summer, the three-masted ship will also call at numerous
national and international events.
