Hirondelle I

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shipstamps
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Joined: Fri Mar 13, 2009 8:12 pm

Hirondelle I

Post by shipstamps » Wed Mar 18, 2009 7:44 pm

At the age of 18 Prince Albert served as an ensign in the Spanish Navy, and two years later, on the outbreak of the Franco-German War, he offered his services to the French Government. He sailed under Vice-Admiral Pourichon, as a lieutenant, and took part in operations in the North Sea, being decorated with the Cross of the Legion of Honour. In 1873 he commenced his practical career as an oceanographer, and bought a small English sailing schooner of 200 tons. This he named Hirondelle with which to carry out his preliminary training in oceanography, but it was not, however, until 1885 that the Hirondelle sailed on the first of the 25 cruises that eventually produced valuable scientific results. For many years the prince did all his sounding and dredging by hand in this beautiful little schooner, which is shown on the 2f. stamp. Her name is perpetuated by the Hirondelle Deep, in the channel which separates the islands ofTerceira and St. Michaels, and Ponta Delgada. It was the first and only deep sounding-1,900 fathoms—made in the channel for many years.

SG375, 861, 1738. Sea Breezes 4/49
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aukepalmhof
Posts: 7771
Joined: Thu Apr 02, 2009 1:28 am

Re: Hirondelle I

Post by aukepalmhof » Thu Oct 08, 2009 8:06 pm

Built in 1862 as a yacht by the famous yacht builder Camper & Nicholson at Gosport for Earl Somers.
Launched under the name PLEAID.
Tonnage 187 ton, dim. 103.5 x 20.6 x 11.5ft.
She was designed by Ben Nicholson.
Registered at Portsmouth.

RYS list 1863/65 gives was owned by F.D.P Astley.
1878 Sold to Prince Albert of Monaco, renamed in HIRONDELLE (I) (Swallow).
Used by him for his oceanography voyages in the Mediterranean and around the Azores Isl.
In total he made 25 voyages. He made soundings till a depth of 3000 meters, a record dept for that time.
She was sold in 1892 when he got a new yacht the PRINCESS ALICE (I).
Between 1893 and 1895 her owners are given by Lloyds as Dufihol Fréres and was she registered at Lorient.
Not renamed.
1895-96 Lloyds did not give an owner but listed ‘now a fishing boat’.

Source: MARHST-L Diana Harding. Some web-sites. Lloyds Register of yachts.

john sefton
Posts: 1816
Joined: Sun Mar 22, 2009 1:59 pm

Re: Hirondelle I

Post by john sefton » Tue Sep 28, 2010 9:00 pm

On May 3 1977, Monaco issued a set of nine stamps honouring the career of a navigator, Prince Albert I of Monaco, who is depicted on the 20c. stamp of the set. The 10c shows the schooner Hirondelle, the Prince's first vessel, bought second.hand in England and fitted out for oceanographic research.
The crew of the vessel are seen on the 30c. stamp while the 80c. and F1.25 stamps both show the schooner in a hurricane. On the F.1.40 and F.2.50 stamps some of the special equipment for oceanographic research designed by the Prince are seen in use, a large hand net for boat use and heavy weight lifting gear for deep sea specimens.
In the lifting equipment can be seen what the French call a poisson-lune or moon-fish, presumably because of its rounded moon-shaped body; I believe it to be a sun-fish as it is called here, specimens of which grow to over 8 ft. in length and weigh upwards of a ton. It is fairly common in the Atlantic and in summer reaches British waters. The English name is derived from the fish's habit of resting and playing on the surface of the water in sunny weather. The specimen shown on the stamp was caught for the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco founded by Prince Albert 1. The Prince is shown on the 20c. stamp of the set; the helmsman of the schooner at the wheel on the F.1.00; and deep-sea trawling for specimens on the F1.90.
Monaco SG1285/87
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