Belle Poule (1932)

Type

Schooner

Period

20th Century

Nation

France

Overview: Belle Poule is a two-masted topsail schooner (goélette à hunier) of the French Navy, built as a faithful replica of the "Paimpolaise" or "Islandaise" type of Breton cod-fishing schooner that once sailed from Paimpol to the waters off Iceland. She is the fourth ship of the French Navy to bear the name and, together with her identical sister ship Étoile, serves as a training vessel for cadets of the École navale. Specifications: She displaces about 279 tonnes, measures roughly 37.5 m long with a 7.4 m beam and 3.7 m draught, and spreads some 450 m² of sail across her two masts, supplemented by a diesel engine. Her normal complement runs to a few officers, several petty officers and seamen, plus around a dozen student officers, and modelers can note that her hull was originally built in oak with copper sheathing. Service History: During the Second World War, Belle Poule sailed to the United Kingdom after the Fall of France and was used by the Free French Naval Forces, returning to Brest in 1945. She and Étoile were the last French Navy vessels to have served with the Free French Naval Forces, and in recognition of this both schooners are entitled to fly the Cross of Lorraine ensign at the bowsprit. After the war she resumed her peacetime role alongside Étoile training officer cadets from Brest and the École navale at Lanvéoc-Poulmic. Notable Facts: Since 13 May 1978 Belle Poule has been sponsored by the city of Pauillac. She remains in active service, training future officers of the watch for the French Navy, and frequently appears at tall ship gatherings such as the Armada de Rouen and SAIL Amsterdam. Because she and Étoile are near-identical sisters, modelers building one can cross-reference photos and plans of the other for missing detail; note that a distinct, older Belle Poule was a 60-gun sailing frigate from 1834 famous for repatriating Napoleon's remains, and should not be confused with this 1932 training schooner.