Jean-Bart warship replica under construction in northern France

In northern France, a group of artisans and volunteers has been working for nearly 25 years to construct a full-scale replica of a 17th-century Louis XIV-era warship. Named the ‘Jean-Bart’ after a famous Dunkirk privateer, the vessel is intended to be the world’s largest navigable wooden sailing ship.

The ship features a hull 57 meters long and 15 meters wide, constructed entirely from sustainably managed oak from the Hauts-de-France forests. Site director Jean-Edouard Cardin describes the first-rate ship of the line, capable of carrying over 80 cannons, as the ‘aircraft carrier of the 17th century.’

Construction began in 2002 and is expected to take another 10 to 15 years to complete due to modest resources. The project currently operates with five employees and a small group of regular volunteers. Beyond the construction itself, the site attracts approximately 20,000 annual visitors interested in discovering traditional maritime trades and historical shipbuilding techniques.