Dom Fernando II e Gloria. Portugal's last sailing warship

Lady Sanya, on March 1, 2007, said:

It's the Dom Fernando II e Gloria, a 50 gun frigate and Portugal's last sailing warship. After long service she was almost destroyed by a fire in 1963 and the burned hull was beached on a sandbank in the river Tago for the next 27 years. Finally in 1990 the navy decided to restore her in her 1865 condition. Since the World Exhibition of 1998 she lies in Lisbon as a museum ship.

Owen Morgan, on March 1, 2007, said:

Thanks for the information Lady Sanya. What a shame she no longer goes sailing.

Rui Guerreiro, on April 19, 2007, said:

The name of this ship is: "D.FERNANDO II E GLÓRIA"

This picture is one that shows the frigate burning.

http://img399.imageshack.us/img399/169/dfernandoeglriamj1.jpg

JOTADE, on April 22, 2007, said:

Boa malha Rui. Nunca tinha visto uma foto da fragata a arder.

oronbb, on December 6, 2007, said:

Very nice! Thanks for posting

MRRM, on February 24, 2008, said:

She was built in Damão, in India, and some navy officers do prefer to call it a cargo ship with naval artillery. The moniker "frigate" is a bit optimistic, as she traded speed for seaworthiness and confort. Imagine 650 people on 3 month sea journey and one can fully agree with the builder. She had space. Hr history is both very peaceful and heroic as she never went to battle but she saved an american vessel crew that sunk in the Azores. In the 1940's, she served for teenage boys (13 to 17) coming from poor families who found shelter and one day would become navy men. My late great uncle, Virgilio Rosa, wanted to be a sailor no matter what. He escaped from his parents home and travelled on his own, 13 year old, and come as a "refugee" to Her. On the first night he was stabbed and lost part of his left ear. Those boys were tough. He did not denounce the assailant ("I fell from the stais, Sir!") and went on to become a naval officer. He was leading the team who made the first TV broadcast in Portugal from the Navy Ministry. He was a very nice and funny man who went around the globe at leat twice. Thanks, D.Fernando e Glória, though what we see now is a very carefully built replica. Manuel Rosa Martins-Lisbon Ps- The river is Tejo (Portuguese) or Tagus (English) or Tajo (Spanish)