Nearly five million euros are missing to repair the Hermione, a replica of La Fayette's frigate.

Nearly five million euros are still needed to restore the Hermione, a replica of the frigate that took the Marquis de La Fayette to support the American insurgents in the 18th century, the Nouvelle-Aquitaine Regional Audit Office (CRC) announced on Thursday, June 29.

The reproduction of the three-master, created by the Hermione-La Fayette association, has been undergoing restoration since September 2021 after the discovery of wood-eating fungi on its hull.

According to the latest CRC report , to "complete the repair", estimated at 10 million euros, "there is still a shortfall of 4.5 million euros". "The financial situation of the association, today very tense, makes it urgent to obtain (...) private funding", also urged the chamber, noting that 18.9 million in public subsidies have been paid since the genesis of the project in the 1990s.

The association that owns the ship, which has already decided not to participate in the celebrations for the 250th anniversary of American independence in 2026, launched an appeal for funding in the spring to "save" the Hermione.

"After June 30, 2025, it will almost certainly be too late if everything is not done to finance the completion of the work. The frigate will either sail again or disappear!" the association, seeking patrons, warned on its website.

The ship's initial construction lasted from 1997 to 2011, before it embarked on a triumphant six-month tour of the United States, costing nearly €700,000, the CCR said. According to its managers, the Hermione has generated €70 million in revenue—from visits, training, sponsorship, and receptions—since its creation.