The unpleasant surprise was almost predictable to hear Marie-Pierre Fauvel, the president of GIP Marité, the group overseeing the destiny of the famous sailboat which made the heyday of the Thalassa television show by the late Georges Pernoud.
“The presence of mushrooms was discovered.
It is a scourge for wooden boats.
» On December 18, the former Newfoundland was taken out of the water in Port-en-Bessin (Calvados) for the ten-yearly inspection of its hull.
Matthieu Alluin, the captain, then gave instructions: “Scrape off all the paint, burn it and start again on the bare wood.
» It was by approaching as close as possible to the hull itself that the intruders were brought to light.
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After ten years of operation, the development of fungi in this humid space is far from being an isolated case.
“And with mushrooms, anything is possible.
We need to investigate,” warns Marie-Pierre Fauvel.
The president brought together the members of the public interest group to explain the situation.
“It is urgent not to rush,” she adds, in reference to this suddenly prolonged project: “We are going to carry out a complete diagnosis to determine the real state of the Marité,” she announces.
The operation, prior to any work, will last three to four months.
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However, it was planned that the Marité would return to Granville (Manche) to find its masts before resuming its season during the spring holidays.
But the sentence is final: the 2024 navigation program is canceled.
The ship was, for example, eagerly awaited in Seine-Maritime, at its launch port (in 1923), for the second edition of the Fécamp Grand'Escale festival, from May 8 to 12.
Followers of the centenary are obviously watching for news from Port-en-Bessin.
With kindness, says Marie-Pierre Fauvel.
“We offer refunds for canceled activities and reservations but there are mainly requests for postponements.
We feel a lot of solidarity.
» While waiting for the planning and cost of the work, the convalescent Marité will extend his stay in Bessin.
With its 40 m length, the patient does not go unnoticed in the shipyards, alongside several trawlers.