HISTORY - Portugals Presidential Yacht FUNCHALs future is questioned as of heritage and preservation
Portugal’s liner FUNCHAL´s future in question of heritage and preservation.
FUNCHAL´s heritage is not only being once used as the the presidential yacht of President Thomaz, but too for its nice exterior style and human dimensions.
Was FUNCHAL used as a state yacht when the President was traveling on board?
FUNCHAL´s heritage is not only being once used as the the presidential yacht of President Thomaz, but too for its nice exterior style and human dimensions.
Was FUNCHAL used as a state yacht when the President was traveling on board?
The again
laid up vessel is for sale again.
by
Earl of Cruise
The
FUNCHAL in Lisboa - courtesy by Luis Miguel Correia
Between 1961 and 1974, FUNCHAL
was owned by EMPRESA INSULANA de NAVEGACAO, part of the Bensaude dynasty
business, the wealthiest and most influential family in the Azores, and hence
was commissioned by Presidente Americo Thomaz for state occasions when on longer journeys abraod.
FUNCHAL was build for the
Portugal mainland to Azores service and sailed too to the Madeiras and underwent
cruises for the British and German market in the 60s, 70s and 80s. Promoted as
a small ship, in human dimensions, even back then.
Construction of FUNCHAL in Helsinör, Denmark - Source: Wikipedia
As Presidential Yacht, FUNCHAL
represented the equivalent of Britain’s Royal Yacht BRITANNIA.The
ship’s first commission as Presidential Yacht was in 1962 when Presidente
Thomaz and his entourage embarked as passenger and sailed from Lisbon on 3rd July for an
official state visit to the Portuguese islands of Madeira and the Azores.
In 1968, the FUNCHAL
was commissioned for the important and highly regarded official state
visit by Presidente Thomaz to Bissau, Portuguese Guinea, and the islands of São
Tiago and São Vincente in Cabo Verde. Two years’ later, another commission as
quasi Presidential Yacht embarked Presidente Thomaz and his entourage and sailed from
Lisbon on 23rd July 1970 for the official state visit to the (then) equatorial
Portuguese islands of São Tome and Principe, the strategically important
archipelagos off the west coast of Central Africa.
By far the most
notable commission for FUNCHAL was in 1972 when Presidente Thomaz and an
entourage of important Portuguese dignitaries sailed from Lisbon bound for Rio
de Janeiro to attend the 150th anniversary celebrations of Brazil’s
independence from Portugal.
Most importantly,
for this historic voyage, FUNCHAL was entrusted with the safe carriage and
return to his country of the remains of King Pedro I. of Portugal, First Emperor
of Brazil. As part of this 150th anniversary celebrations of Brazil’s
independence from Portugal, the remains of Emperor Pedro I. were reinterred in
the Monument to the Independence of Brazil at Sao Paulo, situated on the site
where the Emperor proclaimed the independence of the country on 7th September
1822.
Throughout all her
official commissioned sailings, the FUNCHAL performed all her duties and obligations as quasi Portugal’s
Presidential Yacht to the highest of standards and as a true icon of Portugal’s
maritime heritage.
Source: Alan Alan Dumelow, editing by Earl of Cruise
FUNCHAL in qusetion of heritage and preservation - after
various rebuildings under the ownership of different owners and then the Potamianos family from Greece,
FUNCHAL went into the ownership of Rui Alegre who spend a fortune in FUNCHAL
bringing the iconic vessel up actual SOLAS regulations. But was not able
finding a suitable charterer for the much loved FUNCHAL and laid her up again.
FUNCHAL in 1991 - coutesy by Luis Miguel Correia
Rumors are spreading around for the purchasing price, from bargain
occasion to yacht like prices, which is rediculous.
But let us have a short look into aother once well known vessel The REGINA MARIS of LÜBECK LINIE. She was the flagship of a Beltic Sea based, in Lübeck, the
once major Hanseatic town. The REGINA MARIS was intended for Passenger services
across the Baltic but was transfered to full time cruising when she ermerged
from her builders in 1966. After a career with different owners and names she
was sold to a Greek Billionaire who tranformed her into the top high end luxury
charter yacht ALEXANDER (60passengers). This conversion is giving a hint to what FUNCHAL
should may be rebuild to have a chance for a further life at sea, and not a
ststic role as a hotel vessel, for which she would be to small and to specific
for Portugal making a successful career as such.
We all know the bad outcome with QUEEN MARY in Long Beach, but another
better example for a hotel vessel in Rotterdam with the Dutch icon ss
ROTTERDAM. This venture is quite successful, as the vessel itself is
representing a "critical mass" which can suite the different purposes
realised in the hotel and museum.
Back to FUNCHAL - The Potamianos family changed the exterior apperance of
FUNCHAL be closing the mooring deck and fitting in passenger cabins, further
enlarging portholes into windows, which made it easier to generate revenue, as
FUNCHAL had to compete with the new Mega Cruisers and their onboard fascilities
for the fun factor on board.For the facts if not George Petrus Potamianos
hadn´t bought the FUNCHAL in 1985 she would have been with the scrapers.
In winter 1972/73 she got dieselengines instead of her original turbines
which enabled the small beauty to 20kts. Back then she was in charter of the
German cruise and tour operator NECKERMANN.
REGINA MARIS in DEILMANN colours - Source: Lübecker Hafenforum
Youtube viseo Auf See zu Hause
As a 4 or 3 star vessel the actual FUNCHAL will have no chance in the
market, perhaps amoung the old-ship lovers, but hey are to few to make a living
and revenue from.
So what to do?
my ALEXANDER, ex REGINA MARIS 1966 in Barcelona 2008 - copyright Earl of Cruise
FUNCHAL and ALEXANDER have similar dimensions at around 125m in length.
Both have been built as sturdy passenger vessels and FUNCHAL especially for the
rough North Atlantic trade to serve the Azores.
A transforming of FUNCHAL into a real 5star pleasure cruiser would be the
only solution from my point of view. With that she is not available for the
shiplovers to sail on as the price will be rather restricting, but only with
these high prices such a vessel has a slight chance to survive in a cruise
industry where money and revenue is the yield.
What I am suggesting is not a dream, but a solution.
- The old open deck space should be reinstalled again
- the pool should move one deck down, for the better stability
- the cabins on the main deck should be enlarged, creating spacious
suites (Real suites and not staterooms with suite service!)
zhe kitchen should move one deck doen for suite space, via elevators serving the dining on the boat/bridge deck
zhe kitchen should move one deck doen for suite space, via elevators serving the dining on the boat/bridge deck
- on the promanade we have an open deck space, which should be rebuild as
balcony cabins/Suite here the cabins for the deck above will be found again, as
this deck will have only salons after
- the salon in front should/must remain, the open deck space in front can
be used as an all fresco dining when anchoring offshore or offering deep sea
water sports served by a ramp in the hull´s side
- aft should be installed a loung overlooking the wake and the pool area
beneath
- the open boat deck/Bridge deck can be the new open promenade
- above the bridge should be installed an outlook deck area evtually
Glass enclosed
- the deckhouse under the funnel could be extended to the aft to house
another restaurant and/or bar with an outdoor space for al fresco dining
- Cabins in the hull should be put together too, creating suite space and
the porthole should be enlarged to windows
In the end the rebuild FUNCHAL would accomodate a max of 160 passengers
and same crew
- for these 320 max person on board not all the lifeboats will be rquired
any longer, instead some pleasure tenders from e.g. HUNTON or another delivery
partner could be installed including two or more small sailing vessels, such an
arrangement of lined boats in the davits would create or recall the appearance
of a liner
The FUNCHAL has the right dimensions for the growing expedition and soft
expedition market as well cultural enrichment cruises. The right amount of
passengers after the coversion for small destinations and small ennough too to
get exclusive tours in musuems, theatres, meeting natives, e.t.c. which the
bigger numbered cruise vessels can´t offer.
Another must would be a new propulsion system ... a dual-fuel engine and
batteries will neccessary, and for destinations to cross min a speed of again
20kts. Imagine a cruise in the Indian or Pacific Ocean at 16or less kts, which
had been tried and failed. Those ships had been even bigger and had fun
possibilities on board ...but that have been mass market cruises for passengers
bored after 10min seeing the same, the sea ...
for the interior style it should be quite yacht standard, but not
American Nouveau Rich which is without taste.
Comments
Post a Comment