Mercator
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Mercator

1932 barquentine


Country
Belgium
Country of Registry
Belgium
Service Entry
1932
Manufacturer
Ramage & Ferguson
Vessel Type
training vessel: , barquentine
Ship Type
training vessel
IMO Number
6109421
Current Location
51° 14' 37", 2° 55' 12"

* This information from Wikidata is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License

The Mercator was a Belgian training barquentine that served as a sailing vessel to train students of the Antwerp Maritime Academy. Built in 1932, the ship was designed by the Belgian architect Gustaf De Ridder and constructed by the shipyard of J. Boel & Zonen in Temse, Belgium. Its construction was sponsored by the Mercator Lines shipping company. The vessel, measuring 78.5 meters in length, was primarily used for training future merchant navy officers and was equipped with modern navigation instruments. During its operational years, the Mercator made multiple voyages to various destinations worldwide, including the United States, South America, and Africa. The ship participated in numerous international sailing events and tall ship races, gaining recognition for its impressive sailing capabilities. In 1960, the Mercator was retired from active service as a training ship, and after a period of neglect, it was eventually restored and turned into a museum ship. Today, the Mercator is a popular tourist attraction in the Belgian port city of Ostend, where it serves as a maritime museum. Visitors can explore the ship's interior, including the cabins, chart room, and engine room, to learn about its history and the life of sailors on board. The Mercator's legacy as a training vessel and its contributions to maritime education are celebrated through its preservation as a museum ship.

This description has been generated using GPT-3.5-TURBO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.

Ships

3 ship citations (1 free) in 3 resources

Mercator (1932; Belgian training vessel; Leith, Scotland)
Book Merchant Sail
Author William Armstrong Fairburn
Published Fairburn Marine Educational Foundation, Inc., Center Lovell, Maine,
Page IV: 2718
Mercator (3m barquentine; launched 1932) Subscribe to view
Mercator (sailing vessel; 770 tons; launched in 1932; photographed in 1937) Subscribe to view