ST. THOMAS - French navy ship The Graceful and crew will arrive at Crown Bay at 8 a.m. Saturday for three days of rest and relaxation in the Virgin Islands.

Stationed in Martinique, the 180-foot ship La Gracieuse, or The Graceful in English, carries a crew of 36 and can travel for up to 20 days. Its maximum speed is 24 knots. It is armed with 40 mm and 20 mm deck guns and two machine guns.

Lt. Julien Lalanne de Saint-Quentin and The Graceful's crew patrol Caribbean waters between North and South America, reinforcing relationships with American territories and Caribbean nations by assisting in matters including illegal immigration and drug trafficking.

The Graceful was admitted into active service on July 17, 1987, in French Polynesia.

In 1996, The Graceful traded the waters of the French Polynesia for those of South American, docking in Guyana at Degrad des Cannes. In August 2005, Brest, France, became The Graceful's new port of registry where the ship was stationed with a mission to protect and provide surveillance of maritime activity in the Bay of Biscay. The Graceful left Brest in February to replace the Passionate in Martinique.

The Graceful will be open for public tours from 9 a.m. to noon Monday morning according to Honorary French Consul Odile de Lyrot. Space is limited.

"Anybody who steps on a French Navy ship is on French territory, so if you want to go to France all you have to do is visit the ship," said de Lyrot.

The ship is en route from Antigua to Puerto Rico.

-Β Contact reporter Genevieve Ryan at 774-8772 ext. 340 or e-mail gryan@dailynews.vi.