Oostende Mercator v1.0
The barquentine Mercator was built as a training ship for the Belgian merchant fleet. She was named after Gerardus Mercator (1512–1594), a Belgian cartographer.
She was designed by G.L. Watson & Co. and built in Leith, Scotland[2] and launched in 1932.
Besides being a training a ship, she was also used, mainly before World War II, for scientific observations,
or as ambassador for Belgium on world fairs and in sailing events.
In 1961, she became a floating museum, first in Antwerp and, from 1964, in the marina of Ostend, just in front of the city hall. As of 2019,
she remains open to visitors.
General characteristics
Tonnage: 770 gross tons
Length: 78.5 m (258 ft) overall; 68 m (223 ft) hull length[1]
Beam: 10.6 m (35 ft)
Height: foremast 39 m (128 ft); mainmast 41 m (135 ft); mizzenmast 40 metres (130 ft)
Draft: 5.1 m (17 ft)
Sail plan: Three-masted barquentine, 15 sails: four jibs, four square foresails, three staysails, two spankers, two gaff topsails
Speed: 13 knots (24 km/h; 15 mph)
Crew: 150
GPS Coordinates: 51.227018685384245, 2.9198418831232993
