Le Francois: Vaisseau 5eme rang 1683. D’apres un manuscrit de Francois Coulomb. Toulon 1683

In 1680 Colbert gave orders to the administrators in Brest, Rochefort and Toulon to set up a school to teach construction theory to the Navy guards (cadets).
At Toulon, François Coulomb was chosen to initiate the future officers, and the lessons he gave from 1680 onwards encouraged him to edit a manuscript, dated 1683.
In answer to our concern to continue the study of XVIIth century French naval architecture, (see the Vaisseau pont by M. de Tourville and the monograph of La Belle) Jean Boudriot had the idea of translating the 1683 manuscript through drawings.
He therefore suggested to Jean-Claude Lemineur, the author of the work Les vaisseaux du Roi-Soleil, that he should undertake this very significant work. Much effort would be necessary to complete it.
In the 1/48th scale monograph we are presenting, Jean-Claude Lemineur, after detailed analysis of the manuscript and additional sources, explains the use of drawings, then comments on the 38 plates necessary to define the ship and describe the rigging.
The work ends with useful information about the decoration and painting of the vessel.
Analysis of the photographs of three models of the ‘François’ during construction completes this information.
Model-makers thus have complete and particularly detailed documentation on ‘LE FRANCOIS’, a small 5th class vessel in Colbert’s navy.