Florette (ship)
 Brigantine Florette under sail
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The Florette is a two-masted sailing ship built in wood in Limite sul'Arno (Italy) in 1921 with the original rigging of a brigantine . The 40 meter long and 7 meter wide ship is said to be one of the last original brigantines in the Mediterranean . The merchant ship, originally built for the transport of Carrara marble , still sails today in its home area in the western Mediterranean with a focus on the Aeolian Islands in the Tyrrhenian Sea , but has since been converted into a charter and sailing training ship with eleven cabins for six regular and up to 30 guest crew members. Home port is Valletta ( Malta ).
history
The Florette was launched in 1921 in the famous Picchiotti shipyard in Limite sul'Arno , which was founded around 1600 and still exists today in La Spezia , and made her maiden voyage in January 1922. The ship's name Florette is the diminutive of the Italian female first name Flora , onomatopoeic derived from the Latin word Flos, the flower. Built for the Telaro family from Marina di Carrara , the construction was specially designed for the transport of up to 200 tons of cargo in the form of blocks of Carrara marble. For this purpose, it was reinforced over the entire length with additional cross struts made of oak wood and equipped with two particularly small cargo hatches. Due to its massive construction and hull shape , the Florette was able to sail even without cargo or ballast . In terms of shipbuilding, it was actually a vintage car back then, but it was designed and rigged as a brigantine from the start. At the foremast had originally four square sails on a total of up to 600 m² of sail , no bodies and no engine. For port maneuvers, she owned a heavy rowboat that was carried on deck. The crew consisted of the first owner and captain Giovanni Telaro and six sailors. The captain had a cabin aft, while the crew lived in the forecastle. Mostly from the port of Carrara, the Florette sailed with the precious marble to many ports in the Mediterranean in the following years, with mixed cargo being carried on the return voyage. A first two-cylinder engine with 60 hp was installed in 1936, primarily to facilitate port maneuvers .
In 1941 there was a serious turning point: the Florette was confiscated by the Italian Navy due to the war. Equipped with a cannon gun, two heavy machine guns and radio, the crew was increased with six armed marines and the ship was used for patrols. While on watch in front of Capri , in September 1943, Captain Telaro learned of Italy's surrender to the Allied forces, whereupon he set sail so that, after a long absence, he set off for the home port of Marina di Carrara. Near the coast at the height of Civitavecchia (near Rome ), the Florette was stopped by German naval forces, ordered into the port and confiscated again. Now under German orders, Captain Telaro first had to transport soldiers to Livorno as a troop transport . A load of 200 tons of ammunition was then to be brought from Livorno to Sardinia as quickly as possible . The ship was moored at the outermost pier for this purpose. During the night there was an American air raid on the port of Livorno, during which Captain Telaro made a drastic decision. He had all the sea valves opened and sank his own ship on the bottom of the harbor basin - as if it had been a victim of the air attack. Because to leave the port with 200 tons of ammunition the next day while Allied forces lurked in the water and in the air in front of the port seemed too risky to him. This ended the Florette's military service .
In autumn 1944 the Americans liberated Livorno and Captain Telaro returned to Livorno, where the masts of the Florette still protruded from the harbor basin. The Americans learned about the history of the voluntary sinking in order to evade the war service of the Germans and then salvaged the largely intact ship. Within six weeks the ship and engine were overhauled, repainted and rigged with new sails. On behalf of the British Admiralty, it then brought food to Malta and transported material to Livorno until it returned to the marble transport business.
In 1952 it was converted into a gaff schooner with two large gaff sails and three foresails on the foremast, and a new four-cylinder diesel engine with 130 hp was installed. As a machine- assisted freighter , the Florette continued to sail in the western Mediterranean until Captain Telaro retired in November 1968. The ship was transferred to Livorno and offered for sale as a freighter.
In 1968 the Armenian Fumian acquired the ship and converted it into a sailing yacht with cabins, saloon, two bathrooms, new deck and galley by 1971. Initially registered under the flag of Panama, the Florette changed to the Maltese flag in 1974 with the registration number "No.0064". In the spring of 1978 there was another change of ownership, as a result of which the Florette became a sailing training ship for a sailing school on Elba . She now sailed under the Italian flag with registration in Livorno under the number LI-008ND. In the same year, the rigging was changed to that of a staysail schooner for easier handling . The new captain and partner was the Briton Ron Haynes Senior. In the Sabatini shipyard near Porto Ercole on Monte Argentario in Tuscany , which was one of the few who still had experience in traditional wooden shipbuilding, restoration work on the hull and the installation of a new, 260 hp engine followed each winter.
In 1979 the owner of the sailing school decided to sell the ship. The captain and partner Ron Haynes Senior then decided with his German wife Christel and his three-year-old son Ron Haynes Junior to take over the ship. Porto Santo Stefano on Monte Argentario became the new base in the summer of 1980 , from where diving trips to the south coast of France , Corsica , Sardinia and Sicily were made. The ship was brought under the British flag in 1982. In 1991 the winter quarters were moved to Malta. In 1996 the ship was rigged again as a traditional brigantine according to the original Lloyd's plans from 1921, but now with three yards on the foremast and a total of 550 m² of sail area. In addition, a new main engine with 360 hp was installed. Since then, the Florette has been used for diving and sailing trips as well as by marine research teams. In 2000, Ron Haynes Junior took over as captain of the ship as well as the winter restoration and maintenance work necessary for an almost 100-year-old wooden ship in Malta and in the shipyard Oceanica Naval Cantiere SRL in Licata, Sicily, which specializes in wooden shipbuilding . In 2005 the Florette was brought back under the Maltese flag with the headquarters of the Haynes family operating company Historical Tallship Sailing in La Valletta. In the following year, the Florette met all the criteria and passed all tests according to the new EU classification for traditional sailing ships and was certified as an ocean-going charter yacht and sailing training ship. With her old registration number "No.0064", the Florette is currently the oldest registered commercial ship flying the Maltese flag. In addition to the trips in the western Mediterranean with a focus on the Aeolian Islands, with Vibo Marina in Calabria being the port of departure, the Florette is also used again and again in winter for various film and television productions as well as for events in the port of La Valletta. The Florette is the official sailing training ship of the Malta Sailtraining Association.
technical description
hull
The shape of the hull of the Florette corresponds to that of the brigantine or barquentine type of boat, which was further developed in Viareggio in Tuscany from the 18th to the 19th century . The ships built for commercial voyages were famous for their exceptionally good sailing properties, seaworthiness and durability. They had a large and wide bow and a relatively small and narrow, round stern . With a length of 40 m and a width of 7.20 m, the keel , the frames and cross braces are made of nailed oak. The multilayered keel has a separating layer of tar paper above the lowest keel wood beam facing the ship to protect against the ubiquitous drillworm infestation in the Mediterranean . The inside and outside kraweelbeplankte vessel has in the underwater area up to 10 m long and 7 cm thick iron wooden planks (Azobe) and water up to 10 meters long and 7.5 cm thick planks of mahogany . The caulking consists of tarred hemp cords. The approximately 160 m² deck is completely planked with teak and all superstructures and extensions are made of various boat timbers, e.g. T. using lightweight marine plywood.
Rigging and rigging
The rig is carried by the 25 meter high two-part main mast and the slightly lower foremast at 22 m . The bowsprit , yards as well as the tree and gaff of the gaff sail are made of round wood. The block housings of the deflections and pulley blocks are also made of wood - but all are certified accordingly. Except for the fourth top yard, the rig corresponds to the original rigging from 1921, i.e. H. a Brigantine traditional handling with a total of about 550 m² sail area made up of four jibs (from inside to outside: headsail , inner jib , outer jib and aviator ), three square sails (from bottom to top: foresail , Marssegel and topgallants ), said at low wind a triangular skysegel about can be tensioned, as well as two staysails between the fore and main mast ( staysail and staysail topsail ). The latter can be replaced by a cloth with a significantly larger area in weak winds. The double reefing main or gaff sail has the largest sail area of the ship at around 140 m². A flying, triangular gaff top sail can be set above this in weak winds. The sails consist of sewn and glued dacron cloth from North Sail. The maximum speed under sail is 12 knots above ground , and a little more if the current is favorable.
The standing rigging of Florette consists of Drahttauwerk different strengths during the running rigging ( traps , vang , peppers , bream , Geitaue , clewlines and buntlines and Topp called ) consists of Polypropylentauwerk which feels like hemp rope similar and also looks like that, but much achieved higher breaking loads and much less is subject to wear. A total of 88 ropes are placed on wooden and metal nails on the wooden benches arranged around the masts and along the side walls and are operated by hand when setting the sails and recovering, maneuvering and trimming the sails.
Furnishing
Below deck there are eleven double cabins and three sanitary facilities. All cabins are equipped with running water, a 220 V connection, a small table, a cupboard, a large deck hatch for fresh air and natural daylight, and traditionally with bunk beds (without a ladder) or a small double bed. In the 36 m² saloon with bar and fridge there are two large tables for eating and lingering. The crew quarters and the galley are located in the deckhouse. At the stern is the bridge house with helm, navigation , companionway to the captain's cabin and a deck toilet. On board are kayaks , standups , snorkeling equipment, deep sea fishing, scuba tanks and two inflatable boats .
Technology and equipment
The original teak steering wheel takes 14 turns to move the rudder from hard port to starboard. The two Union anchors hang on 125 m long and 22 mm thick anchor chains . These can be lifted using a hydraulic anchor winch .
The ship is equipped with an autopilot, 360 HP diesel main engine, three generators, large battery banks for motorless sailing, an osmosis device, sewage treatment plant, diving compressor, air conditioning, 6000 liter water tank and 5000 liter diesel tank. Navigation, radio and safety equipment correspond to the safety, fire protection and rescue equipment in accordance with the guidelines of the Malta Commercel Yacht Code.
literature
- The grand old lady. Telling the Tale of la Florette, cover story by Traditional Boats & Tallships, Issue 51, June / July 2008
- Peter Amman, Aeolian Islands. Hiking and enjoying between Etna and Vesuvius. A travel companion, Rotpunktverlag, Zurich 2017, ISBN 978-3-85869-730-1 , “With the windjammer to the islands of Aeolus”, pages 89–90
- Antonio Montesanti, Tra Mare e Terra, Il ruolo die trafficii marittimi nella storia del territorio costiero vibonese, Edizione Fegica, Roma 1999, p. 209, note 416
- Flavio Serafini, La flotta scomparsa. Storia degli armamenti velici viareggini I bastimenti, Gribaudo, Milano 2010, ISBN 978-88-7906-873-4 , pages 378-380
- Flavio Serafini, La formiche del mare. Storia dell'ultima Vela del Mediterraneo, CLD Libri, Pontedera 2014, ISBN 978-88-7399-257-8 , Chapter XIX - Florette, ultimo alcione, pages 439-441
Remarks
- ↑ For the story, see the Florette website http://www.svflorette.com/de/florette.html (accessed on September 21, 2017) and the portrait of the Florette in: The Grand old Lady. Telling the Tale of la Florette, cover story, Traditional Boats & Tallships, Issue 51, June / July 2008
- ↑ See Peter Amman, Aeolian Islands. Hiking and enjoying between Etna and Vesuvius, Zurich 2017, pp. 89–90.
- ↑ z. B. in the filming of the BBC documentary Moby Dick 2015
Web links
- Florette (accessed May 25, 2018)