Glenlee (ship) facts for kids
Glenlee as Galatea in 1922 at Cartagena Harbour
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| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom |
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| Name |
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| Namesake | Glenlee, Dumfries and Galloway |
| Owner | |
| Port of registry |
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| Builder | Anderson Rodger & Company, Bay Yard, Port Glasgow, Renfrewshire, Scotland |
| Cost | £24,000 (1896) |
| Yard number | 324 |
| Launched | 3 December 1896 |
| Maiden voyage | 13 December 1896 |
| Fate | Sold 1919 |
 Italy |
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| Name | Clarastella |
| Owner | Società Italiana di Navigazione Stella d'Italia |
| Port of registry | Genoa |
| Acquired | 1919 |
| Fate | Sold 1922 |
 Spain |
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| Name | Galatea |
| Namesake | Galatea |
| Owner | Escuela Naval Militar de Oficiales, Spanish Navy |
| Acquired | 1922 |
| Homeport | |
| Fate | Sold 1993 |
| United Kingdom |
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| Name | Glenlee |
| Owner | Clyde Maritime Trust, Glasgow |
| Acquired | 1993 |
| Homeport | Glasgow |
| Status | Museum ship |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Three-masted barque |
| Tonnage |
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| Displacement | c. 2,990 tons |
| Length |
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| Beam | 37.5 ft (11.4 m) |
| Depth of hold | 22.5 ft (6.9 m) |
The Glenlee is a cool ship with three masts and a steel body. It was built in 1896 in Port Glasgow, Scotland, as a cargo ship. Over the years, it had different names like Islamount and Clarastella. From 1922, it became a training ship for the Spanish Navy, called Galatea.
Today, the Glenlee is back to its original name and is a museum ship in Glasgow, Scotland. You can visit it at the Riverside Museum on Pointhouse Quay. It's also known as The Tall Ship at Glasgow Harbour.
Contents
Building the Glenlee
The Glenlee was built by a company called Anderson Rodger & Company. They built it at their Bay Shipyard in Port Glasgow. The ship was made for a Glasgow shipping company named Archibald Sterling & Co. Ltd. It was launched into the water on December 3, 1896.
Ship's Size and Design
The ship's hull (the main body) is about 245.5 feet (74.8 meters) long. Its width, called the beam, is 37.5 feet (11.4 meters). The depth of its hold, where cargo was stored, is 22.5 feet (6.9 meters). If you measure the whole ship, including its front spike (bowsprit), it's about 282 feet (86 meters) long.
The Glenlee was designed to carry a lot of cargo. It was a "baldheader" ship, which means it didn't have the very top sails called "royal sails." This saved money on equipment and crew. To make up for the missing sails, its other square sails were made a bit wider. This helped the ship move well through the water.
Glenlee's Journeys and Changes
The Glenlee started its first journey just ten days after it was launched, on December 13, 1896. It sailed to Liverpool and then carried general cargo to Portland, Oregon. For 23 years, it traveled all over the world, carrying goods. It sailed around the Cape of Good Hope to Australia and then back around Cape Horn.
New Names and Owners
- First, it was owned by Archibald Sterling and Co. in Glasgow.
- From 1898 to 1905, it was called Islamount and owned by a company in Dundee.
- From 1905 to 1918, it was still Islamount but owned by a company in Liverpool.
- In 1919, the ship was sold to an Italian company and renamed Clarastella. It was registered in Genoa, Italy. The new owners even added two small diesel engines to help it move.
Becoming a Training Ship
In 1922, the ship was bought by the Spanish Navy's Officers' Military Navy School. It was renamed Galatea and became a training ship for future naval officers. During this time, many changes were made to the ship.
- A special bridge was added on the back deck.
- More parts were added to the front spike (bowsprit).
- New living areas were built for up to 300 cadets (students).
The Galatea played an important role in training sailors for the Spanish Navy for many years.
Saving the Glenlee
After more than 47 years as a training ship, the Galatea was eventually taken out of service. It was stored in Ferrol, Spain, and later moved to Seville to be a floating museum. However, the ship became very old and damaged, and there were plans to scrap it (take it apart for materials).
A New Hope for the Ship
In 1990, a British naval expert named Dr. Sir John Brown found the ship. In 1993, he helped rescue it from being scrapped. The Clyde Maritime Trust bought the ship at an auction for about £40,000.
The ship was then made safe to travel again. All the extra parts added by the Spanish Navy were removed. Months later, the ship was towed all the way back to Glasgow, its original home!
Bringing the Ship Back to Life
Once in Glasgow, a huge restoration project began. It took six years to make the Glenlee look like it did when it was first built.
- The old propellers were removed.
- The parts of the hull below the water were checked and fixed.
- A new wooden figurehead (a carved figure on the front of the ship) was made.
- All the ropes and sails were replaced, and the original masts were put back up.
- Many other parts, like the deckhouses, were repaired or rebuilt.
The Spanish even returned some of the ship's old masts and yards (the horizontal spars that hold the sails) when they saw how much effort was being put into restoring the ship. On July 6, 1993, the ship was officially given back its original name, Glenlee, when it arrived in Glasgow.
The Glenlee Today
Today, the Glenlee is a museum ship and a popular place to visit. It's part of the National Historic Fleet, which means it's an important piece of history.
At the Glenlee, you can learn about life on a tall ship, explore its decks, and imagine what it was like to sail around the world over a hundred years ago. It also hosts educational programs and events. Since June 2011, the ship has been open to visitors at Glasgow's Riverside Museum.
See also
In Spanish: Galatea (1922) para niños
