In Calais, the Dragon hibernates and gets a makeover
He lost his head, his 4 legs and his neck. The Calais Dragon for 5 weeks is wintering. An annual technical stop, as for all the other machines in Nantes and Toulouse. The opportunity to carry out a complete overhaul of the systems before the resumption of trips on the seafront on February 5.
In the heart of winter, while we bipeds put on coats, the Calais Dragon takes off! Shed for 5 weeks of the shells of its head, neck and legs. The 72-ton animal takes its winter quarters and comes to a standstill, supported by 8 machinists and 3 “veterinarians” from the Dragon Company : “The Dragon moults and for its second wintering, you have to control everything, inside and out. This is why for the first time, the hulls returned to Nantes where it was imagined by François Delarozière and built by the Compagnie La Machine, to be recolored there using a very special glazing technique“, explains Stéphane Ribeiro, communications manager.
If the parts most exposed to bad weather made the trip to Nantes, the rest of the animal is not forgotten and all the mechanical and hydraulic systems are also combed: “We learn throughout the season. The eyes, jaw, tongue and mouth opening are very fragile and require a lot of attention. And of the 8 wheels, one has been completely dismantled. Wiring, bending, all movements are controlled by our teams. The parts to be changed come from the automotive world», Explains Stéphane Ribeiro.
600 kilometers from Calais, in the workshop of Guislaine Deguerry, the head of the colorization of Compagnie la Machine, the hulls are in good hands “Upon receipt of the head and neck parts, I was very pleasantly surprised by their condition. Indeed, after two years completely exposed 7 days a week to sea spray and salt, I found that the colored wooden hulls have held up very well “.
“Despite everything, there is still a lot of work until the return of the wooden hulls to Calais. A broken ear needs to undergo transplant, the dragon’s horn also needs to be repaired. After their repair on the wood side, the colourists get down to washing and sanding the wood before tackling the actual recolouring based on varnish and oil. There is a lot of work on the tongue and teeth in particular which undergo the effects of fire and water when the Dragon spits “, Guislaine Deguerry pursuit. The colors of the wooden shells of the head and the 8 vertebrae of the neck must also be revived. In all, 26 pieces will be restored and recoloured before January 28, the date of the return of the elements to Calais.
Since his arrival in Calais, the dragon has only known the Covid: “We would like so much a year without restrictions! We have never lived it. We would like to develop adult groups but we do not yet know if this will be possible in 2022”, hopes Jean-Philippe Javello, general manager of the Compagnie du Dragon. In the meantime, even if the recovery will be done with the maximum capacity of 48 people on board, it will still be necessary to wear the mask and present the health pass. In terms of changes for this year: new software for ticketing and doors will be installed on the shelter in the first half of the year, which will protect the Dragon from bad weather. A new technical stopover is already scheduled for the beginning of June
Happy who, like the Dragon of Calais, will make new beautiful trips on the seafront from the start of the school holidays, on February 5. The ticket office will open ten days before. The team of 27 employees will be ready to welcome you.