When the La Malouine unexpectedly ran aground on a beach in Ramsey last week, it transformed the familiar stretch of coastline into a new and slightly surreal scene. I’ve enjoyed catching glimpses of her from the road on my way to work each day and with all the lovely weather we’ve been having many people have been visiting that part of the shore to take a look. Drawn by the sight of her tall masts and weathered hull resting on the sand, I set out to capture the moment in a quick sketch while learning more about the vessel herself.
The La Malouine is a French two-masted tall ship known as a brigantine, a vessel that combines square sails on the foremast with fore-and-aft rigging on the mainmast. This hybrid design made brigantines especially versatile, offering a balance of speed and maneuverability that suited both coastal trading and longer voyages. They could also sail in shallow waters where larger warships couldn’t follow and were apparently a popular choice as pirate ships. There’s an interesting video on brigantines on the History Under the Black Flag YouTube Channel and La Malouine has its own Facebook page with lots of fantastic photos and information about this beautiful vessel.
Unfortunately, La Malouine recently drew attention when she became stranded on Ballure Beach after breaking free from her anchor in strong winds. The sight of this classic sailing ship resting on the sand has created a striking contrast between past and present and turned the beach into a focal point for visitors from across the Island. Her elegant lines and tall masts, usually seen against open water, took on a different character when viewed up close on shore and allowed us to view details that are often missed when she’s at sea.
With such a wonderful opportunity to photograph and sketch the ship with the green cliffs of Ballure in the background, I took a walk down to see her one evening. The sun was low in the sky when I visited and only the top of the masts were catching the light. It was a strange scene as she seemed to fit the landscape so well whilst also looking out of place.
The owners of La Malouine have attempted to refloat the ship but have not yet been successful. The next favourable tides come around the 17th of May, so it’s likely we’ll have this beautiful ship as a feature of the Ramsey coastline for a while yet. Personally, I’m not unhappy about that!
Until next time,
Emma
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