ARA Presidente Sarmiento facts for kids
Moored at Puerto Madero, Buenos Aires
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Quick facts for kids History |
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 Argentina |
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| Name | Presidente Sarmiento |
| Namesake | Domingo Faustino Sarmiento |
| Builder | Laird Brothers, Birkenhead, England |
| Launched | 31 August 1897 |
| In service | 1897 |
| Out of service | 1961 |
| Status | Museum ship in Buenos Aires, Argentina |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Sail training ship |
| Displacement | 2,750 tonnes |
| Length | 81 m (266 ft) |
| Beam | 13.11 m (43.0 ft) |
| Draught | 5.64 m (18.5 ft) |
| Propulsion | Steam, 3-cylinder compound, 1,000 hp (750 kW), ship rig |
The ARA Presidente Sarmiento is a famous museum ship in Argentina. It was first built as a training ship for the Argentine Navy. The ship is named after Domingo Faustino Sarmiento, who was the seventh President of Argentina. This ship is special because it is thought to be the last complete training ship still around from the 1890s.
Contents
A Ship's Journey: History of the Presidente Sarmiento
The Presidente Sarmiento was built for the Argentine Naval Academy. Its main job was to train young sailors. This amazing ship went on 37 yearly training trips. Six of these trips were circumnavigations, meaning it sailed all the way around the world!
The ship stopped being a seagoing vessel in 1938. However, it continued to serve on Argentine rivers until about 1950. After that, it became a stationary (non-moving) training ship until 1961. Today, you can visit it in Puerto Madero, Buenos Aires. It looks just like it did in 1898, serving as a floating museum.
How the Ship Moved: Propulsion and Steering
The Presidente Sarmiento was a sailing ship, but it also had a powerful engine. This helped it move even when there was no wind.
The Ship's Engine
Besides its sails, the ship had a large steam engine. This engine got its power from two boilers that burned coal. The smoke from these boilers went out through the back smokestack. There was also an extra boiler. This one made steam for other things, like two engines that created electricity. These generators were on the main deck.
What Fuel Did It Use?
The ship had a special area called a coal bunker. This bunker was located between the main and auxiliary boiler rooms. It stored all the coal needed to power the ship's engines.
How the Ship Was Steered
To steer the ship, there was a three-wheel chain drive system. This system allowed up to six helmsmen (people steering the ship) to control the rudder. The rudder is like a big fin at the back of the ship that helps it turn. Usually, an electric motor helped with steering. But having many wheels was great for training cadets how to steer the ship.
Ship's Defenses: Armament
Even though it was a training ship, the Presidente Sarmiento had some weapons. These were likely used for training purposes.
Ship's Guns
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There were four Armstrong gun mounts on the ship. Two were on each side, in the middle of the ship. There were also some smaller weapons. The museum says these were 5-inch guns. These guns did have some armor protection when the ship was active.
Torpedoes on Board
The ship also had a single torpedo tube at the front. This tube used gravity to launch torpedoes. The tube has since been removed and the opening sealed. However, in the museum, you can see a torpedo on the main deck. It is placed where it would have entered the torpedo tube. More torpedoes were stored below this main deck.
Historic images
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1873 image of the ship's namesake
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1909 image of the ship
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Capitan A. Brana and staff, Hamburg, 1923
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Cadets honor guests, Bremerhaven, 1931
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Publication allusive to its fiftieth anniversary, 1947
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Visiting the Museum
The Presidente Sarmiento is now a popular museum. It is docked in Puerto Madero, very close to the Bicentennial Plaza. You can visit it and learn all about its amazing history as a training ship for the Argentine Navy. It is officially known as the ARA Presidente Sarmiento Frigate Museum.
See also
In Spanish: ARA Presidente Sarmiento para niños
- ARA Uruguay, a smaller historic tall ship moored nearby in basin number three.
- Argentine peso moneda nacional; the ship was featured on the 5 peso coin from 1961 to 1968.
