Interviewing the Captain

Interviewing the Captain of the “Amerigo Vespucci”.
Intervistando il Capitano dell'“Amerigo Vespucci”.

See also: Amerigo Vespucci
Search labels: Amerigo Vespucci

External links: Italian training ship Amerigo Vespucci (Wikipedia)
Link esterni: Amerigo Vespucci (A 5312) (Wikipedia)

Chaplin

The “Chaplin” is one of the sailing yachts of the Sport Velico Marina Militare (Navy Sailing Sport).
Il “Chaplin” è uno degli yacht a vela del gruppo Sport Velico Marina Militare.

Diving in January

Diving in January to place new buoys in the Porto Mediceo. (Photo taken last January)
Immergersi in gennaio per piazzare nuove boe nel Porto Mediceo. (Foto scattata lo scorso gennaio)

Chaplin & Caroly

Sailboats “Chaplin” and “Caroly” of the Italian Navy with in background the frigate “Carlo Bergamini”.
Le barche a vela “Chaplin” e “Caroly” della Marina Militare con sullo sfondo la fregata “Carlo Bergamini”.

Antares

The sailboat “Antares” of the Italian Navy, seen from the Terrazza Mascagni. (Already posted on Instagram)
La barca a vela “Antares” della Marina Militare, vista dalla Terrazza Mascagni. (Già pubblicato su Instagram)

“Carlo Bergamini”

The “Carlo Bergamini” (F 590) is an European multi-purpose frigate, the first unit of the class bearing her name. The FREMM (from Frégate européenne multi-mission and Fregata europea multi-missione) is a class of ships designed by DCNS/Armaris and Fincantieri for the navies of France and Italy.

La “Carlo Bergamini” (F 590) è una fregata multi-missione, la prima unità della classe che porta il suo nome. La FREMM (dal francese Frégate européenne multi-mission e dall'italiano Fregata europea multi-missione) è una classe di navi progettate da DCNS/Armaris e Fincantieri per le marine militari di Francia ed Italia.

External links: FREMM multipurpose frigate - DCNS - Fincantieri (Wikipedia)
Link esterni: Carlo Bergamini (F 590) - Classe FREMM - DCNS - Fincantieri (Wikipedia)

S/Y Chaplin

The “Chaplin”, one of the sailing yachts of the Sport Velico Marina Militare (Navy Sailing Sport), with the training ship “Amerigo Vespucci” in background.

See also: Amerigo Vespucci - #Vespucci85 - Stern Balcony - Vespucci amidst Chains
Search labels: Amerigo Vespucci

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Commandant Ducuing

The ship “Commandant Ducuing” (F 795) is an A69 type aviso of the D'Estienne d'Orves-class of the French Navy.

External links: Aviso - D'Estienne d'Orves-class aviso (Wikipedia)

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“Astice” and “Porpora”

“Astice” (A5379), “Porpora” (A5382): these two minesweepers of the Aragosta (Lobster) class are actually used as training ships. Far away, we can see the church of San Ferdinando.

See also: Astice (A5379) - Murena (A5305) - San Ferdinando

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Murena (A5305)

The “Murena” (literally: moray eel) was launched in 1957 as a non-magnetic in-shore minesweeper, which means that her hull is mostly made of wood. She is part of a series of vessels called classe Aragosta (Lobster class).

Her original name was “Scampo” (Norway lobster), but in the early 2000's she became “Murena” after undergoing a thorough modernization. Now she is used as a training vessel for the cadets of the Naval Academy.

External links: Murena (Italian Navy)
See also: Astice (A5379)

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Carlo Bergamini (F 590)

The “Carlo Bergamini” (F 590) is an European multi-purpose frigate, the first unit of the class bearing her name. The FREMM (from Frégate européenne multi-mission and Fregata europea multi-missione) is a class of ships designed by DCNS/Armaris and Fincantieri for the navies of France and Italy.
The presence of this ship in our port is linked to the opening ceremony of a new plant at the Sgarallino pier, which can supply electrical power to berthed ships, allowing them to shut down even the auxiliary engines and generators.

External links: FREMM multipurpose frigate - DCNS - Fincantieri - Cold ironing (Wikipedia)

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Tavolara (A 5367)

The “Tavolara” (A 5367) is a navigational aid tender of the Italian Navy, launched in 1988.
The vessel of the Ponza Class is equipped with a crane and it is usually employed for the maintenance of the coastal signalling. She is also employed for other logistic activities as supplying water, fuel or other goods to naval ships or small islands. (Photos taken in April and May)

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Baggage Handling

Handling baggage under the sail ship “Palinuro”, leaving in two days for a training cruise in the Mediterranean.
Rows of neatly arranged bags, ready to be loaded on board. Two cadets of the Ukrainian Navy.

External links: Palinuro (A 5311) - Italian Naval Academy - (Wikipedia)
See also: Palinuro - Faventibus Ventis - Palinuro and Vespucci - Tall Ships Walk - Palinuro (A 5311)
Search labels: sailship

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Palinuro (A 5311)

With the “Amerigo Vespucci” still in the Navy yard of La Spezia for extraordinary maintenance, it will be the school ship “Palinuro” to carry the first-year cadets of the Naval Academy in their summer training cruise.
Palinurus, a figure from the Roman mythology, was the helmsman of one of the ships of Aeneas.

External links: Amerigo Vespucci - Palinuro (A 5311) - Italian Naval Academy - Palinurus (Wikipedia)
See also: Palinuro - Faventibus Ventis - Palinuro and Vespucci - Tall Ships Walk
Search labels: Amerigo Vespucci

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Surcouf (F711)

The 125-meter “Surcouf” (F711) is a La Fayette-class frigate of the French Navy, launched at the at Lorient Naval Dockyard in 1993. Her 100 mm naval gun is clearly visible in this photo.

The ships of this class are considered “stealth” (furtive in French) frigates because they have a reduced radar cross section obtained with a clean superstructure, angled sides and radar absorbent material. A battery of eight Crotale missiles and at least one Exocet launcher are visible at midship.

Usually, trying to take the picture of a flag is a good way to make the wind drop. I am glad it didn't work this time.

External links: French frigate Surcouf (F711) - La Fayette-class frigate - French 100 mm naval gun - Crotale - Exocet (Wikipedia)

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Chased by a Copter

It was Sunday, at noon, and I was quietly walking on the swing bridge when I saw this huge Navy helicopter.
As soon as they saw me, they quickly turned the chopper in my direction.

I kept shooting until they were almost over me...

See also: Swing Bridge - From My Terrace
External links: AgustaWestland AW101 (Wikipedia)

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Durand de la Penne

During summer, the cadets of the Naval Academy of Livorno usually take part in an annual training cruise on the “Amerigo Vespucci”, but the old sailing ship is undergoing extraordinary maintenance works at the La Spezia Navy Yard. The destroyer “Luigi Durand de la Penne” took the cadets on board last July 14th and is sailing to Barcelona, Lisbon, London, Brest and Casablanca, to be back in Livorno on September 20th.

Our best wishes to our beloved “Amerigo Vespucci” for a quick and full recovery.

See also: Amerigo Vespucci
External links: Durand de la Penne-class destroyer (Wikipedia)
Search labels: Amerigo Vespucci

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Minerva Class

This weekend three Minerva-class corvettes of the Italian Navy are berthed at the Capitaneria pier. Here are the “Chimera” (F 556) and the “Sfinge” (F 554).

The three units, built at the end of the 1980s, are identical, but the “Sfinge”, which means sphinx, has now a radome where the other two still have an Albatros missile launcher. Any ship of our Navy still has a Latin motto: Tacita atque resoluta (Silent and resolute) for the “Sfinge” and In arduis intrepida (Fearless in arduous things) for the “Chimera”.

Further along the pier we can see the “Fenice” (F 557), which would be phoenix, with the predictable motto of Resurgit (She rises).

See also: A Sphinx and Many Stars - Urania, Chimera and Sirio
External links: Minerva-class corvette (Wikipedia)
Search labels: Navy

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Montcalm (D642)

The “Montcalm” (D642) is an anti-submarine frigate of the Georges Leygues class (Type F70) of the French Marine Nationale (French Navy). She is actually a destroyer, as the “D” in the pennant number says, but the French refer to this kind of ships as frigates. She was built at the Brest Arsenal between 1975 and 1982.

The “Montcalm” is a multi-role ship armed with Exocet and Crotale missiles, suitable for strategic defence and show of force operations. The superstructures of this class of ships are built to resist the blast from a nuclear explosion. The white device resting at the stern is a DUBV 43C towed array sonar.

External links: French frigate Montcalm (D642) - Exocet - Crotale (missile) - Pennant number - Towed array sonar (Wikipedia)

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Cassiopea

The patrol boat “Cassiopea” was launched in 1987 at the Fincantieri shipyard at Muggiano, La Spezia. She was the first ship of the her namesake class.

Her Oto Melara 76/62 MMI gun is actually a hand-me-down from a discarded Bergamini-class frigate.

(Pictures taken in September 2013)

External links: Bergamini-class frigate - Cassiopea-class patrol vessel - Oto Melara 76/62 MMI (Wikipedia)
- Cassiopea (Marina Militare)

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