Nautical Scandal, Leadership and Covid

For the last two decades I have been on French family holidays over a dozen times. We go for three weeks staying a while in different places and more recently have ventured into San Sebastian in Spain. Wherever we are however, we always finish in Paris for around five days, firstly because it is close to Cherbourg for our return journey and secondly it's a fantastic city. It was here that I first saw the painting “The Raft of the Medusa”, I became intrigued and engrossed with it and found the horrifying story behind it.

Finished in 1819 by Theodore Gericault, it is a mesmerising painting, and is enormous in size almost 5m tall and over 7m long. It is a shocking painting that draws you in, depicted is terror, death and despair but also hope with a rescue ship on the horizon. The first time I saw the painting I wondered what had happened and began to research it. The painting could in fact have been a picture for a tabloid newspaper of the time as it tells the story of the biggest scandal in history of the French Navy. Ultimately it is a gory tale of failed leadership.

The story goes that in 1816 following peace talks after the Napoleonic wars, Britain would hand over the colony of Senegal to the French. The French then had a fleet of four ships prepared to sale to Senegal to take control, with the frigate Medusa being the fastest and best in the small convoy. In those days French captains were likely to be appointed because of who they were rather than their qualifications, skills and experience. Due to this the newly restored King appointed Viscount Hugues Duroy de Chaumereys to captain the Medusa and command the convoy. Unfortunately for the crew and passengers, de Chaumereys had not been to sea in 25 years and when he had, his position was lieutenant.

The Medusa set off with a chronometer that was not accurate and charts that were largely blank as the seas off Senegal were largely unknown. The Medusa had over 400 people on board including over 250 passengers made up of wealthy families, soldiers (ex convicts) and all manner of people with varied occupations looking for a new start in life. One of the passengers was a powerful man named Schmaltz who was to be the new governor of Senegal. He was overbearing and demanded speed and efficiency in the sea crossing. De Chaumereys, bowed under the pressure of the governor and sped away from the slower convoy and took risks with the unmapped Arguin sandbank. Despite repeated requests and pleas from his experienced officers de Chaumereys sided with the governor and fatally, with one of the passengers who claimed to know the waters around the sandbank.

Despite the warnings the inevitable happened and the ship ran aground on the sandbank 60 miles off the African coast. If they had stayed in convoy they could have been saved. At this point all was not lost but time was against them as it was the season for spring tides and every day that passed meant shallower water. Efforts were made, taking anchors out to sea and then using capstans to try and pull the ship towards the anchor but the ship was too heavy and it was the anchor that would move. Over forty canon weighing over two tonnes each were on the Medusa but requests to ditch these by officers were denied by the governor and de Chaumereys. The masts were taken down and used as ballast as they could float in the water and it reduced the weight of the ship. Merchants would not let their goods be tossed overboard. All in all a lack of leadership and co-ordinated effort and a focus on self-interest by all, prevented the frigate from being re-floated.

A storm then hit and broke the keel of the half grounded ship and the crew knew the ship was lost. The crew quickly began to make a huge raft for the passengers with the idea that the four lifeboats would pull the raft along. 150 passengers went on the raft and it partially submerged as they sat on it. The boats began to pull the raft but progress was slow as it was effectively a huge anchor. Sadly, self-interest won over duty and the tow ropes were discarded with the privileged rowing away to safety and 150 in the raft abandoned.

On board the raft, survivors reported starvation & dehydration, mercy killings and suicide. Murderous fighting between the Medusa crew and soldiers killed many as delirium took hold. Cannibalism began as the survivors were pushed to their human limits and started to consume their comrades in an attempt to survive. After 13 days adrift, just 15 passengers remained out of the 150 that had stepped onto the raft and were rescued by the Argus. The tale was a huge embarrassment to the French monarchy who had just been restored but there are leadership lessons for us all littered throughout the story. Lessons that are now more apt than ever during the pandemic. The leadership was lacking in every way. Compare this to a modern day success. Who could decry the clear, decisive and responsible messages and actions that have characterised the leadership of Jacinda Ardern the New Zealand PM. In contrast with other nations, her leadership and actions have delivered exceptional results in a time of significant crisis.

Indeed, the organisations that are coping well in the pandemic are those who have worked together and had a collective co-ordinated leadership that has delivered rapid and appropriate action. Scottish Colleges and their practitioners are a good example of this and have internally and collectively banded together for a common good and got on with the job in hand.

Just as when the Medusa ran aground all was not yet lost, so too when Covid-19 hit and we all ran aground, all was not lost either. On the Medusa the leadership and organisational skills were sadly lacking to the extent that the voice of experienced sailors were ignored and it ended in disaster. This is a time for every leader to make sure their teams are working collectively and that experienced practitioners are given a voice to source solutions.

Worth a read: Wreck of the Medusa Alexander McKee (1975)