A small group of artisans and volunteers has been working on a full-scale replica of a large warship from Louis XIV's navy near Dunkirk in the North of France for almost 25 years. The project, called Jean-Bart after a well-known Dunkirk privateer, aims to be "the largest wooden sailing ship" in the world that can actually sail. The ship’s hull is made of oak from sustainably managed forests in the Hauts-de-France region. The structure is already over six meters high, but it has not yet reached the waterline, and twice as much work remains to complete the height of the hull. The project began in 2002 and is led by Jean-Edouard Cardin, who estimates that it will take another 10 to 15 years to finish. At the construction site, there are currently five employees and 7 to 8 regular or occasional volunteers. The main goal is to showcase the construction of a 17th-century ship and to preserve and demonstrate ancient shipbuilding techniques. A volunteer from Lyon, Aurélie Wagner, says working with wood feels "liberating," while site manager Maxime Gilles points out that "ancient techniques we have lost" need to be rediscovered and adapted. For example, the team is struggling to find the right tools to perform tasks that were done without modern equipment in the 17th century. Unlike Guédelon, a famous medieval fortress under construction in the Yonne region that strictly follows historical methods, the Jean-Bart uses modern tools. However, historian Michel Daeffler, a specialist in 16th to 18th-century shipbuilding and a co-creator of the project's plans, says the Jean-Bart is "almost the ideal tool to see how one can restore a 17th-century ship." The Jean-Bart project is based on archaeological research from the 1990s, which examined shipwrecks off the coast of Cotentin. These findings are considered "primary sources" for the project. The idea was first proposed in the 1980s by Christian Cardin, Jean-Edouard’s father, who discovered these wrecks. At the time, many thought he was "a big loony." Jean-Edouard admits the project is "completely crazy," but he believes it has proven that "madness can lead to great things." However, due to "legal issues," the Jean-Bart will not be able to sail. Instead, the long-term plan is to install the ship in a basin in Gravelines, where it will serve as the centerpiece of a future leisure park focused on pirates and the navy of the 17th century.