This to be part of a project, a series of paintings about His Majesties armed cutter Alert.

To include Alert’s capture of the American commerce raider, the brig  USS Lexington which operated quite successfully out of Morlais, Brittany – until she met the cutter Alert.

“What the French did with the Alert and its fate ?”

The following sums up the current position except:
I have not yet had time to consult my books here.
I doubt the National Musee de la Marine would have plans however there are other sources in Paris.

I will have to check my records to find the addresses.

Peter wrote
Gordon,
Super to see you. I been doing some homework concerning  the Alert being captured by the French Junon.

Junon is  a Charmant  class 32 gun frigate laid down at Rochefort 1777 and launched March 1778 and went into service in May that same year  and was wrecked in October 1780

Tons 540 tonnes
Length 44.2 metres
Breadth  – 11.2metres
Draught – 5.4 metres

I have tried to get into web site of  the National Musee de la Marine Paris  to enquire on what the French did with the Alert and its fate but getting into contacts at the museum is difficult  as all is in French.

Could you get into them and send my contact details?

The National Musee de la Marine is also based at Rochfort and Toulon and I think Brest   so they may have something.

If you do a painting of Junon and Alert then as the Junon is a specific class of frigate and we know that the French  were more consistent in ship design .

There is a serious proposal to build a full size replica of Alert which measured 70 ‘ between perpendiculars and take moulds with a view to building a class for racing.

A cutter like Alert with her low freeboard and huge sail area would pose a real challenge to modern sailors!

Peter is very concerned that there are structural problems in Victory caused by poor repairs and the committees responsible are not listening to him …

Thus I was able to bring Peter some moral support and light relief with some marine news.

I’d previously emailed Peter Goodwin as discussed when I last visited HMS Victory last December (see blog entry 5 Dec http://www.frickers.co.uk/blog/2009/12/05/portsmouth-hms-victory-and-pickle/.
My email had not arrived, just as well I phone today?
I had attached a draft letter of introduction worded as nearly as I can recall, to the original from Captain Mike Cheshire, the then commander of HMS Victory.
The original letter was on official ship’s stationary and would have been dated about May 1995.

The letter  was unique, an honour, more it was very useful, opening doors all over Europe greatly aiding  my research for HMS Victory.
It enabled me to access many rare documents and artifacts in turn leading to some ground breaking research.

I was greeted with enthusiasm and given unlimited co operation in places as far afield as Liverpool, Madrid, London and San Sebastian Naval Base, Brest and Cadiz, Paris and Plymouth.

Unfortunately I left the original with the marine Museum in Madrid and can’t find the last copy I had.
I’d like to show some thing with the above date on my web site as part of the Trafalgar project.

It would also be very helpful to have an up dated copy similar or same wording from Peter Goodwin to use during current ongoing research.

For example, last month I was in the Musee Marine National, Paris.
While they were polite, no one was very helpful, an opportunity missed.
Next Month I will be in Brest around the 12th 15th and possibly visit La Hermione so a new letter would be most helpful.

My addresses are:

Gordon Frickers
41a Oak Tree Park
Glenholt
Plymouth
Devon
PL6 7JZ

Gordon Frickers
Les Lilas, ITZAC
81170 CORDES, France

Alert and Lexington

We know the British cutter Alert captured the American brig, commerce raider, Lexington.

I have made a start by re reading various books here.

While I don’t have anything on Alert, I did make a little progress re Lexington.
It appears Lexington was a converted merchant ship.
As far as I can tell from the preliminary research, no plan or reliable illustration exists of her so we have a clean shot at this.

Peter offered to contact colleagues at  the National Maritime Museum Greenwich (London) as the National Maritime Museum Greenwich archives may have a plan of Lexington.
After capture Lexington was brought into the Royal Naval Dockyard, Plymouth so was very likely measured and had her lines taken as was the custom at Plymouth in those days.

You probably know, it appears she was a typical American trader of her period.
I have quite a lot of colour pictures of such ships here.
I have not as yet searched the Internet or raised this with my friends in the U.S.A. or other possible sources.

As for a painting, I am happy to produce one on “spec”, to be used in any way we think helpful, as usual I’m open to ideas.
I can start painting as soon as you wish, anytime after the end of February would be good.
Thus the sooner we can sort out our ideas the sooner I can begin sketches for us to discuss.
If you have the time I’d like to get started ASAP, before I am to involved in the coming exhibition at the European Parliament (date to be set, possibly mid May as that is European Sea Week).

Other marine news

Last week I attended a meeting of the L’association Laperouse.
There are several opportunities there which may interest you?

You are probably aware Laperouse was the French answer to James Cook?
The society has a good web site including copy in various languages.

The society is very active and in touch with museums at many places Laperouse ships visited.
I wrote up the evening on my blog, http://www.frickers.co.uk/blog/, 22 January.

Possibly the most interesting news for you and I though is the society has:
Good connections in France and abroad.
The senior people appreciate they are getting old and are concerned to find younger people to “take over”.
They wish to seek links with other European societies and museums of the great and pioneering explorers and navigators.

This with the aim of a joint presentation to the European Parliament for funds.

The present Museum is in the old quarter of Albi, Laperouse home town.
The Museum is interesting and constantly being improved.
However they are quite unaware of your marvelous work on Victory and as the Museum is about the same size of one of Laperouse ships, there are possible opportunities…?

I look forward to your thoughts on the above.

Very best wishes to you and Katie,

Gordon

P.S.

We spoke of cabin interior colour schemes, in particular the use of natural wood  and white paint in Nelson’s cabins.

After, and you may have thought of this before, I remembered when working years ago on the model of George Anson’s famous Centurion (the ship which captured the greatest treasure ever taken at sea) at the NMM Greenwich I was shown how they had put an endoscope (the sort of camera surgeons use) inside some of the models and been amazed to find many had the interiors painted in the styles of the time even though once the model was complete no one was likely to ever see the details again.

Maybe some new research here would help you with the cabin interiors of Victory?
As a trained photographer, if it helps, I’d be happy to help interpret the pictures obtained.
We might well find enough new information for hours and beers of discussion and to support a definitive point for the benefit of  HMS Victory!