of Public Safety and made general inspector for forests. In 1794, he was tasked to design specialised ships to navigate the Seine river; he consequently design a lugger, the Saumon, and authored a Mémoire sur la navigation de la Seine. In 1797, the Directory tasked him, along with Rosily-Mesros and David, to study the possibility to establish a military harbour in Antwerp; these studies were followed by the construction of an arsenal. He was then sent to the recently captured Venice, where he oversaw the launch of ships under construction in her harbour and appropriated by the French in the Campaign of Italy; in August 1797, these frigates were launched as Muiron and Carrère. Tasked with the naval preparations of the French campaign in Egypt and Syria, Forfait prepared 15 ships of the line, 14 frigates, 72 lesser warships and 400 transports in Toulon, Genoa, Ajaccio and Civitavecchia. He then returned to Le Havre, where he designed 3 heavily armed gunboats to repel British bomb vessels. After the 18 Brumaire, Forfait became Napoleon Bonaparte's first Minister of the Navy, office which he held from November 1799 until his resignation on 1 October 1801, while simultaneously designing ships of the Navy and plans for Boulogne harbour. At the collapse of the Peace of Amiens and the outbreak of the War of the Third Coalition in May 1803, Forfait was tasked with improving the Flottille de Boulogne. In 1805, Forfait was sent to Genoa as Maritime Prefect, tasked to establish a naval presence there. He managed to successfully launch the 74-gun , whose originally intended launch had been botched by her constructors, leaving the ship damaged and stuck on her railing. He nevertheless fell in disfavour after the affair. Forfait retired in Rouen, where he died on 8 November 1807. Honours Commandeur of the Legion of Honour The French Navy screw corvette Forfait was named in his honour. A large portrait of Forfait is exposed at the Mairie of Rouen. Works Traité élémentaire de la mâture des vaisseaux à l’usage des élèves de la marine, Paris, Clousier, 1788 Observations sur l’établissement des milices bourgeoises et de la milice nationale de l’année, 1789 Opinion de Pierre Forfait sur l’affaire du Ministre de la marine, Paris, Imprimerie nationale, 1792 Expériences faites, par ordre du gouvernement sur la navigation de la Seine, Paris, Imprimerie nationale, 1792 Rapport sur la proposition d’armer trente vaisseaux fait au