A canon adventure - South West

helen Rietsch

h.rietsch sudouest.fr @

nice symbol for Safem foundry, located in the industrial area of ??L’Isle-d’Espagnac (Charente), to have won the contract to manufacture 32 barrels (drums) who will arm the replica “Hermione,” this warship, hunter seas.

“It’s a nice nod to history,” says Martial Gobeaux, director of the Safem. “Bells and cannons remain emblems foundries, even for a modern foundry,” smiled the boss of the company, the European leader in the construction of large cylinders employees including stationery and food.

founder had met yesterday morning part of the staff of Hermione-La Fayette Association and all the craftsmen of the resurrection of said guns made as at the time but nevertheless demilitarized (for fire parade only).

was able to attend the impressive preparation of two guns and 12 cannon 6 (reference to the weight of the balls), respectively for weighing a whopping 1,600 and 1,000 pounds each.

RTC bar

melting, bubbling to 1600 ° C, is first taken from a cubillot before being transported by truck to the molds covered with sand. The operation, very delicate, only takes a few minutes. “No real problems,” says the founder, whose stress was first and foremost by the specification of the time, “avoiding being modern.” In this specific company, it is the combination Charente Route barrels and barrels (RTC) was the prime contractor for the account of the Rochefortaise association. She knew unite around her many talents, including students of IUT Angoulême (Mechanical Engineering and Production Engineering design option) to whom we owe the manufacture of molds.

Melting 32 guns (28 guns and 12 6 6) should be completed in the course in May They will be delivered mostly by truck. “These are 45 tons of iron participating in the vessel’s stability. Veritas charge late May testing, “says Maryse Vital, Associate Director of the Association Hermione-La Fayette.

last gun, it, however, take the road to the river, the weekend of June 7 The RTC has created a big party around the departure and during the trip, which takes about two weeks. Horses pulling a dray leave the Safem direction port Houmeau The Angouleme.

Here the gun will be shipped on a barge. Scheduled arrival at Rochefort on June 21, the day of the general meeting of Hermione-La Fayette Association, which has 6,500 members. “We will wait for that day with a really good party,” say the members of the delegation Hermione-La Fayette.

2014 remains a year of challenges for the team that has been working for twenty years on the site “Hermione.” It will reopen its site to the public today, will celebrate in June its four millionth visitor (60% of the overall budget is financed by visits). 2014 was also the year that is to see the completion of construction (including the installation of running rigging, sails, without forgetting the contemporary amenities) and the recruitment and training of the crew.

This is also the year of navigation tests at sea from 6 September until mid-November, with a stopover in Bordeaux from October 9 to 13.

great start for Boston, with a stopover in Saint Pierre and Miquelon (we learned yesterday) remains in 2015.