The Marité is a magnificent three-masted boat built during the 1920's... but she is much more than that. She is last great vestige of a long period of our history, when all those children of Normandy, Brittany, and the Basque County embarked for months catching cod in the icy and foggy waters of Newfoundland.  Men whose determination to survive and courage seem to have soaked as much as the sea salt in each recess of The Marité, this cod-fisher which has survived several  deaths foretold.

 

The boat was Thalassa's (TV program dedicated to sea) signature boat for one year, which created instant fame among the French public. Then, The Marité, underwent significant renovation works so that she could obtain a new Load Line certificate in order to get a navigation license.

Dismantling, storing and refitting the rigging, repair of the engine,replacement of beams and keel, restoration of the hull by changing the planking, caulking and replacement of anodes,  all this state-of-the-art jobs have been completed with skill and passion.

 

By nature a vehicle for exchange, synonym of great discoveries throughout the world, boats have always been a great support to transmit meaningful messages: after her restoration and Armada 2008, Rouen local authorities decided to use The Marité for an extensive project dedicated to inter-cultural exchanges.

 

So she later became:

→ A traveling venture for inter-cultural exchanges of various themes, objectives and challenges.

→ A boat to promote dialogue:  bringing together spokespersons and representatives (associations, young people, scientists, politicians, representatives of religious communities, artists of the world, etc.)

→ A tool for the discovery of cultures, especially for the young.