ID :
147507
Tue, 10/26/2010 - 18:18
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/147507
The shortlink copeid
PORTUGUESE NAVY SAILING SHIP ARRIVES FOR VISIT
PORT KLANG (Malaysia), Oct 26 (Bernama) -- Portuguese Navy sailing ship the
Sagres anchored at the Glenn Marine Cruise Terminal here Monday morning for a
friendly visit and to commemorate the almost 500 years of cultural relations
between Malaysia and Portugal.
On Sunday, the navy training vessel had anchored in Melaka waters for a stopover
after departing from Singapore on Saturday.
Sagres'captain, Commander Luis Proenca Mendes told Bernama on board of the
vessel that he was very proud to see that although the Portuguese left Melaka
more than 400 years ago, some Portuguese culture had remained intact among the
Portuguese community in the state, even though its members had integrated with
the multicultural society there.
"In terms of language, the Portuguese language experienced some evolution in the
homeland, Portugal, but here (Melaka) I still managed to hear ancient
Portuguese spoken," he said, adding that even the dances and songs performed by
the community to entertain him and his crew and officers still had the cultural
values of Portuguese of old.
He said visiting Portuguese communities around the world especially in former
Portuguese colonies like Macau, Timor Leste, Melaka, Goa and Brazil was part of
the ship's mission.
"The ship is like a "floating Embassy" for Portugal and has played its role in
carrying out diplomatic missions and I am greatly honoured to take command of
the ship as her 17th Captain," he said.
The ship carrying 149 crew members left Lisbon on January 15 this year for a
11-month round-the-world mission including to mark the 150th anniversary of the
Peace, Friendship and Commerce Treaty signed between Portugal and Japan also the
the Shanghai EXPO 2010 in China on its itinerary.
The mission is also to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the Portuguese's
arrival in the Far East.
Among the ports of call made by the ship thus fare are Buenos Aires, Punta
Arenas, Valparaiso, Acapulco, San Diego, Honolulu, Tokyo, Incheon, Jakarta and
Singapore.
Mendes said the ship would leave Port Klang on Oct 29 and reach Goa by Nov 16 and that it was scheduled to stop at Alexandria, Egypt on Dec 10, before completing its mission and reach Lisbon on Dec 23.
The ship was commissioned into the Portuguese Navy on Jan 30, 1962. The ship's length is 89.5 metres, weighs 1,893 tons while the height of the main mast is 45.5 metres.
When under sail, the ship, which has three masts, can reach a maximum speed of 16.5 knots and it is also equipped with one 1,000hp diesel engine which allows travel at nine knots.
The ship was originally built in Hamburg in 1937 for the German Navy and was named Albert Leo Schlageter but after World War II its was kept by the United States as a war prize.
In 1948, the ship was sold by the United States to Brazil for a symbolic amount of US$5,000 (US$1= RM3.09)and was renamed as Guanabara. It was used as a training ship for the Brazilian Navy.
Guanabara was decomissioned by the Brazilian Navy on Nov 30, 1960 before the Portuguese government bought it for US$150,000 and renamed it as Sagres.
Sagres anchored at the Glenn Marine Cruise Terminal here Monday morning for a
friendly visit and to commemorate the almost 500 years of cultural relations
between Malaysia and Portugal.
On Sunday, the navy training vessel had anchored in Melaka waters for a stopover
after departing from Singapore on Saturday.
Sagres'captain, Commander Luis Proenca Mendes told Bernama on board of the
vessel that he was very proud to see that although the Portuguese left Melaka
more than 400 years ago, some Portuguese culture had remained intact among the
Portuguese community in the state, even though its members had integrated with
the multicultural society there.
"In terms of language, the Portuguese language experienced some evolution in the
homeland, Portugal, but here (Melaka) I still managed to hear ancient
Portuguese spoken," he said, adding that even the dances and songs performed by
the community to entertain him and his crew and officers still had the cultural
values of Portuguese of old.
He said visiting Portuguese communities around the world especially in former
Portuguese colonies like Macau, Timor Leste, Melaka, Goa and Brazil was part of
the ship's mission.
"The ship is like a "floating Embassy" for Portugal and has played its role in
carrying out diplomatic missions and I am greatly honoured to take command of
the ship as her 17th Captain," he said.
The ship carrying 149 crew members left Lisbon on January 15 this year for a
11-month round-the-world mission including to mark the 150th anniversary of the
Peace, Friendship and Commerce Treaty signed between Portugal and Japan also the
the Shanghai EXPO 2010 in China on its itinerary.
The mission is also to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the Portuguese's
arrival in the Far East.
Among the ports of call made by the ship thus fare are Buenos Aires, Punta
Arenas, Valparaiso, Acapulco, San Diego, Honolulu, Tokyo, Incheon, Jakarta and
Singapore.
Mendes said the ship would leave Port Klang on Oct 29 and reach Goa by Nov 16 and that it was scheduled to stop at Alexandria, Egypt on Dec 10, before completing its mission and reach Lisbon on Dec 23.
The ship was commissioned into the Portuguese Navy on Jan 30, 1962. The ship's length is 89.5 metres, weighs 1,893 tons while the height of the main mast is 45.5 metres.
When under sail, the ship, which has three masts, can reach a maximum speed of 16.5 knots and it is also equipped with one 1,000hp diesel engine which allows travel at nine knots.
The ship was originally built in Hamburg in 1937 for the German Navy and was named Albert Leo Schlageter but after World War II its was kept by the United States as a war prize.
In 1948, the ship was sold by the United States to Brazil for a symbolic amount of US$5,000 (US$1= RM3.09)and was renamed as Guanabara. It was used as a training ship for the Brazilian Navy.
Guanabara was decomissioned by the Brazilian Navy on Nov 30, 1960 before the Portuguese government bought it for US$150,000 and renamed it as Sagres.
