Eighty-six years ago, a large crowd said goodbye in the Port of the city of Buenos Aires to the crew of the Frigate Sarmiento, on what would be their last training voyage through the seas and cities of the world.
In fact, the morning of April 18, 1938 marked the farewell of the ship, known as indicated in the title, whose official name is “Fragata ARA Presidente Domingo Faustino Sarmiento”, which was the first modern training ship. of our Argentine Navy. She would return 7 months later.
The previous clarification of modern is not minor, since it formed the surpassing renovation of the steamship “General Brown” and the corvette “Uruguay”, where naval training was precariously carried out, so in 1893 it was decided to replace it.
Thus, its construction was entrusted to the British shipyard “Laird Brothers”; The launching of the ship and its baptism under the indicated name took place on August 31, 1897, with sea trials completed on May 19, 1898, and on June 30 of the same year the national flag was hoisted on it.
The unit set sail from the port of the city of Liverpool on July 14, 1898 and, under the command of Lieutenant Enrique Thorne, arrived at the port of Buenos Aires on September 10 of that same year.
On January 12, 1899, he set sail from the city of Buenos Aires on his first training voyage, lasting 20 months, this being the longest of his voyages, as he traveled 48,500 nautical miles (more than half of them under sail). touching 71 ports around the world.
Starting in 1939, the ARA cruiser “La Argentina” took over as a training ship, and since 1963, that work has been covered by the ARA Frigate “Libertad.”
In December 1961, the “Sarmiento” became a Museum Ship of the Argentine Navy, and on June 18, 1962, by decree PEN 5589, it was declared a National Historical Monument, opening as such to the public on May 22, 1964.
In 1998, August 31 was established as “President Sarmiento Frigate Day,” remembering the date of its launching and naming.
In 2016, the Hague Convention awarded it the Blue Emblem, which implies its protection as the nation’s cultural heritage in the event of war or emergency.
Those who want to visit it can do so daily at the Port of Buenos Aires.
Armando Mario Marquez
Full member of the National Brownian Institute. Full member of the Neuquén Historical Studies Board.
