''Flore'' was a 32-gun frigate of the

French Navy The French Navy (, , ), informally (, ), is the Navy, maritime arm of the French Armed Forces and one of the four military service branches of History of France, France. It is among the largest and most powerful List of navies, naval forces i ...

, designed by Groignard. She is notable for her scientific voyage in 1771 and 1772, where she tested

marine chronometer A marine chronometer is a precision timepiece that is carried on a ship and employed in the determination of the ship's position by celestial navigation. It is used to determine longitude by comparing Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), and the time at t ...

s made by Berthoud, an important step in the

History of longitude The history of longitude describes the centuries-long effort by astronomers, cartographers and navigators to discover a means of determining the longitude (the east-west position) of any given place on Earth. The measurement of longitude is impo ...

Career

On 29 October 1771, under Lieutenant Verdun de la Crenne, ''Flore'' departed Brest for a scientific voyage intended to test several

Marine chronometer A marine chronometer is a precision timepiece that is carried on a ship and employed in the determination of the ship's position by celestial navigation. It is used to determine longitude by comparing Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), and the time at t ...

s: Berthoud's n°8, Le Roy's watches A and S, and another called "petite ronde" which was not competing for the 1773 prize, as well as further chronometers by Arsandeaux and Biesta.

Borda The Bremen Overseas Research and Development Association (BORDA) is a non-profit international development organization headquartered in Bremen, Germany. It has regional offices in Afghanistan, India, Indonesia, Mexico, and Tanzania, as well as ...

and Pingré were part of the expedition. ''Flore'' called Cadiz and Tenerriffe, before continuing on to Gorée, Fort Royal, Cap français, Saint-Pierre et Miquelon, and Copenhagen, before returning to Brest. ''Flore'' took part in the

War of American Independence The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

under Castellane-Majastre, ferrying letters between Toulon and America in April 1778. On 22 October 1781, ''Flore'' departed Toulon to take part in the Invasion of Minorca. She returned on 30 November.

Fate

''Flore'' was condemned at Toulon, and sold in 1787.

Notes

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References

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External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Flore (1769) Age of Sail frigates of France 1769 ships Ships built in France