notably wood, fabric for the sails, iron and cables. Lacking experience in the matter, it requested advice from Roth, director of the East India Company in Lorient, who replied on 1 April with a long memorandum. Besides explaining how to assess the quality of the materials, how to transport it on land and how to store it, the memorandum observed that a number of parts would need to be obtained from outside of Bretagne, and sometimes even abroard, notably from the Netherlands. Providers would span from Newcastle to Saint Petersburg and Riga. In August 1764, Groignard started laying down parts in Lorient shipyard, hoping to take advantage of the summer weather and of a moment of low activity by the East India Company. However, the fluyts needed to transport construction wood were damaged and a lack of wood and nails soon slowed down the work. In December, the Estates and the Company signed an understanding that Groignard would have access to the parts and materials stocked in the Company stores, and that the Estates would replenish them within three months. On 12 December, the keel was laid down, the bow had been assembled, and the frames were made and ready to be installed. However, on 12 January 1765, the Commission ordered that the construction be halted, and summoned Groignard to Nantes. Realising its lack of competence, the commission had decided to cease procuring material directly and to delegate that task to the harbour mandated for the construction, which would be either Lorient or Brest. By March, Brest had won the contract;the ship was dismantled and her parts were brought to Brest in May 1765. Groignard remained in charge of the work, while the commission was little involved from then on. On 5 July 1765, the keel was laid down in Brest in the upper dry dock of Pontaniou. By mid-July, the framing was completed. By mid-September, the hull was caulked. In late February 1766, carpenters had completed the orlop deck and were preparing construction of the first battery. In April, the sides were completed up to the lower battery, and the decks of the lower and middle batteries were installed. On 24 May 1766, Bretagne was launched. Completion of the ship remained slow: although Bretagne was declared completed on 30 September 1767 and officially commissioned in 1768, work remained to be done to make her sea worthy in June 1770,