Muscat: Thousands of citizens and residents of the Sultanate of Oman went on a tour of the Italian naval ship, Amerigo Vespucci, which has been docked at Port Sultan Qaboos since December 8.
During its passage through the Gulf region, the ship also stopped over at Doha and Abu Dhabi ports before arriving in Muscat on a visit. It sails onward to Safaga (Egypt) and Larnaca (Cyprus) before concluding its world tour at La Spezia in Italy in February.
The ship has been opened to the public through a registration process and for security reasons, each visitor is required to bring a valid ID card. The ID will be checked against the details provided during your registration.
Upon arrival and registration at the Muttrah Fish Market. A shuttle bus will transport visitors to the ship for a guided free tour. After the tour, the shuttle will bring you back to the registration location.
The Amerigo Vespucci is a tall ship of the Italian Navy (Marina Militare) named after the explorer Amerigo Vespucci. Her home port is La Spezia, Italy, and she is in use as a training ship.
The second ship was the Amerigo Vespucci, built-in 1930 at the (formerly Royal) Naval Shipyard of Castellammare di Stabia (Naples). She was launched on 22 February 1931, and put into service in July of that year.
The hull is painted black with two white stripes, harking back to the two gun decks of the ships her design is based on, but she carries only two 6pdr saluting guns in pivot mountings on the deck, forward of the mainmast.
The deck planks are of teak wood and must be replaced every three years. Bow and stern are decorated with intricate ornaments; she is a life-size figurehead of Amerigo Vespucci. The stern gallery is accessible only through the Captain's saloon.
While sailing the Mediterranean Sea in 1962, the American aircraft carrier USS Independence flashed the Amerigo Vespucci with the light signal asking: "Who are you?"
The full-rigged ship answered: "Training ship Amerigo Vespucci, Italian Navy."
The Independence replied: "You are the most beautiful ship in the world."
In 2022, the Amerigo Vespucci sailed by the American aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush, which saluted the ship and commented: "You are still, after 60 years, the most beautiful ship in the world
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