Italian training ship Amerigo Vespucci is ostensibly the most lovely boat in the world. The boat which is an Italian Navy (Marina Militare), was named after the leader Amerigo Vespucci. The boat was launched back in 1930 but was commissioned a year later (in 1931). The Full-rigged ship has a displacement of:
4,146 t (4,081 long tons) full load (DWT)
3,410 t (3,360 long tons) net weight
1,203 t (1,184 long tons) net tonnage.
In 1925, the Regia Marina requested two school boats to a plan by General Lieutenant Francesco Rotundi of the Italian Navy Engineering Corps, motivated by the style of huge late eighteenth century 74-gun boats of the line (like the neapolitan ship “Monarca”).
The first Cristoforo Colombo, was placed into service in 1928 and was used by the Italian Navy until 1943. After World War II, this boat was given over to the USSR as a feature of the conflict restitutions and was in the blink of an eye subsequently decommissioned.
The subsequent boat was the Amerigo Vespucci, built in 1930 at the (earlier Royal) Naval Shipyard of Castellammare di Stabia (Naples). It was launched on February 22, 1931, and put into service in July of that year.
The vessel is a full-manipulated three-masted steel structure 82.4 m (270 ft) long, with a general length of 101 m (331 ft) including the bowsprit and a most extreme width of 15.5 m (51 ft). It has a draft of around 7 m (23 ft) and a removal at full heap of 4146 tons. Under auxiliary diesel-electric propulsion the Amerigo Vespucci can reach 10 knots (19 km/h) and has a range of 5450 nm at 6.5 knots.
The Amerigo Vespucci has 26 sails – square sails, staysails, and jibs: all are conventional material sails. When under sail in serious ocean and wind conditions it can reach at 12 knots (22 km/h). The apparatus, somewhere in the range of 30 km of ropes, uses just conventional hemp ropes; just the securing lines are engineered, to conform to port guidelines.
The hull is painted black with two white stripes, harking back to the two gun decks of the ships her design is based on, but she carries only two 6pdr saluting guns in pivot mountings on the deck, forward of the mainmast.
The deck planks are of teak wood and must be replaced every three years. Bow and stern are decorated with intricate ornaments; she has a life-size figurehead of Amerigo Vespucci. The stern gallery is accessible only through the Captain’s saloon.
The standard crew of the Amerigo Vespucci is 16 officials, 70 non-authorized officials and 190 mariners. In summer, when it sets out the sailors of the Naval Academy (Accademia Navale), the group adds up to approximately 450.
In 1964 the boat was fitted with two 4-stroke, 8-chamber FIAT B 308 ESS diesel motors, which supplanted the first 2-stroke 6-chamber FIAT Q 426 motors. These motors created electric force for one electric impetus engine that delivered up to around 1,471 kW (1,973 hp).
After update works, between 2013 and 2016, the ship has been fitted with two 4-stroke, 12-cylinder MTU, 1,32 MW each diesel engine generators and two 4-stroke, 8-cylinder MTU, 760 kW each diesel engine generators, and one NIDEC (Ansaldo Sistemi Industriali) electric engine.
During the same work, the ship has been fitted with new radar GEM Elettronica AN/SPS-753(V)5, new satellite antenna ORBIT AL-7103.
When carrying cadets, the ship is usually steered from the manual stern rudder station, which is operated by four steering wheels with two men each. At other times, the hydraulically assisted steering on the bridge is used. Except for the anchor winch, the winches aboard are not power operated. The bridge is equipped with sophisticated modern electronic navigation instruments.
Other than during World War II, the Amerigo Vespucci has been constantly dynamic. The greater part of her preparation travels are in European waters, yet it has also cruised to North and South America, and explored the Pacific. In 2002, the ship embraced a journey all throughout the world.
The Amerigo Vespucci often takes part in sailing parades and Tall Ships’ Races, where she is in amicable rivalry with the Gorch Fock. When she is berthed in port, public tours of the vessel are usually offered.
On 7 July 2018, Amerigo Vespucci arrived to the port of Almeria. It is the third time it visited Almería: the first one was in 1932, and the second one was in 1989. It left the city on 10 July. Then it will travel to Ponta Delgada, in the Azores Islands, and it will cross the Atlantic Ocean to Northern Europe.
Interestingly, the ship, which has its home port in La Spezia, Italy, is used as a school transport.
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