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? 

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.

FUNCHAL remastered - copyright Earl of Cruise

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

- 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.