hello all, yesterday the admiral and I went to Ostend anchored and our first visit was the Mercator, formerly training ship of the Belgian merchant fleet, believe it or not this was my first visit to the Mercator who has been in the area for many, many years. Ostend harbor as a museum ship.
here also a bit about the history and specifications of the Mercator
Specifications
Mercator is a composite rigging. The foremast carries square sails, the main mast and the mizzen mast are rigged with fore and aft sails. Usually the Mercator carried 15 sails with a total surface of about 1600 m². By fair wind she could easily make 13 knots.
History
Mercator's real-time-off in 1934 when the ship sailed from Pitcairn Island, Tahiti, Papeete, to the Marquis Islands and Honolulu for a Belgo-French scientific expedition. This was the seventh cruise and known to be a World War Two.
In 1936 Ostend's Mercator had the great honor of bringing home the remains of the Flemish missionary and apostle of the lepers, Father Damian, from Molokai island.
On February 21, 1940, Mercator set out for her last cruise before World War 2. She sailed to Rio de Janeiro and afterward arrived in Boma.
From early 1945 to mid 1947, the ship was under the custody of the British Admiralty as a "Submarine Depot Ship". Unfortunately after 1947, the once elegant ship was not expected until January 20, 1951. After her horrible experience in Great Britain.
In 1960, Mercator returned to service as a training ship and completed 41 voyages, sailing almost all seas. After that she performed quite a few scientific missions. Besides that, they also completed races in Torbay-Lisbon (1956), Brest Canary Islands (1958) and Oslo-Ostend (1960).
All of these historic events are impossible without captains: Captain R. Van de Sande (from 1932 till 1955), Captain R. Ghys (from 1955 till 1960).
Tonnage: 770 gross tons
Length: 78.5 m (258 ft) overall; 68 m (223 ft) hull length [1]
Beam: 10.6 m (35 ft)
Height: foremast 39 m (128 ft); mainmast 41 m (135 ft); mizzenmast 40 meters (130 ft)
Draft: 5.1 m (17 ft)
Sail plan: Three-masted barquentine, 15 sails: four jibs, four square foresails, three staysails, two spankers, two gaff topsails
Speed: 13 knots (24 km / h, 15 mph)
Crew: 150