The Fougueux (1805). Prototype 18th – 19th French construction system

Abstract

Poster. Abstract: The 74 guns French ship Fougueux was built in the L’Oriênt arsenals in 1784, according to the guidelines of naval engineer Jacques Nöel Sané. The Fougueux belonged to the Spanish-French fleet under the command of Vice Admiral Villeneuve that in 21st October of 1805 faced the English fleet commanded by Admiral Nelson in the well-known Battle of Trafalgar. After a hard confrontation, the Fougueux was towed as a prey of war by the English ship Temeraire. The latest news about the French ship indicates that it was lost breaking on the rocky slopes of Sancti-Petri due to a storm unleashed after the battle. About two centuries later, an array of iron cannons, an anchor and wooden remains were discovered in this location. The archaeological research at the site was carried out by the Underwater Archaeology Centre of the Andalusian Institute of Historical Heritage. This paper presents the results on the ship’s construction system, with emphasis on the particularities that place it within the late 18th to early 19th century French shipbuilding tradition.