The ship of liberty A 'now or never' plea to rescue a symbol of revolution

French maritime enthusiasts are fighting to save a replica of an 18th-century warship that became a symbol of the country's historic relationship with America.

- Kim Willsher

The copy of L'Hermione, a three-mast, 32-gun frigate that carried the Marquis de Lafayette across the Atlantic to announce France's support for American independence from Great Britain in the revolutionary war, has been in dry dock at Anglet, near Bayonne, since its oak hull was found to be riddled with fungus four years ago.

Campaigners have raised €5m (£4.3m) to replace part of the rotted structure but say they need another €5m to make the vessel seaworthy again. Despite launching an appeal two years ago, the funds have not been found.

Emilie Beau, the executive director of the Hermione-La Fayette Association, said: "We need a generous patron and we now have very little time to find one. It has been three years in dry dock and its 1,200 tonnes of wood needs to be in sea water and not dry."

"We have been dampening the hull, but this could lead to the development of even more fungus. We're hoping that if someone comes forward with the funds, we could restart work to repair the hull in September, with a view to sailing again in 2027."