Built as an oceanographic research vessel by the BOEL yard in Temse, Belgium for the Royal Belgium Navy.
Launched as the ZÉNOBE GRAMME (A 958).
Displacement 136 ton, dim. 28.15 x 6.85 x 2.80m. (draught)
One 6-cyl. auxiliary diesel engine 230 hp, speed under engine, 8 knots.
Bermuda ketch rigged, sail area 700m²
1961 Delivered to the Belgium Navy.
The Sail Training Ship Zénobe Gramme was originally designed as an
oceanographic research vessel by the naval architect Van Dijck and was built in
1961 at the former Boel shipyards in Temse, Belgium. She is named after the
scientist Zénobe Gramme, the inventor of the dynamo (1869). She was used as
a research vessel until 1970, since then she has exclusively been used as a
sail training and public relations vessel.
BNS Zénobe Gramme, a 29 m (92 ft) Bermuda Ketch, is owned and operated by
the Belgian Navy.
The ship has been adopted by the Bruxelles Royal Yacht Club. Her home port is
the Belgian Naval base in Zeebrugge. The crew consists of 1 Officer, 6
crewmembers and 10 trainees.
She participated in The Tall Ships Races for the first time in 1972 has been a
regular participant ever since. She won the Cutty Sark Trophy in 1976 and the
Hans Reith Memorial Trophy and the Sail Training International Ince Trophy in
2003. She has covered 300.000 Nautical miles (557.000 km) since 1961 till September 2008.
Total of sailing hours since commissioned, 30,061 hours till September 2008.
Belgium 2012 sg?, scott?
Source: http://www.yachtweb.be/yachting/zenobegramme.pdf. Belgium Navy web-site.
The L’ORESTE is seen on this stamp on the road of St Helena in 1840 she is the vessel depict on the right in the stamp.
Built at Brest for the French Navy as a wooden brig.
20 May 1830 laid down as Le JEAN DE VIENNE.
03 August 1831 renamed in L’ORESTE.
04 May 1833 launched as L’ORESTE one of the Cygne class.
Tonnage 548 ton. Dim. 34.15 x 9.20 x 4.44m.
Armament 18 – 24 pdr., 2 – 18 or 12 pdr.
Crew 113.
13 July 1834 commissioned.
27 November 1838 took she part in the Battle of San Juan d’Ulua at Vera Cruz, Mexico. In this battle the first explosive shells were used.
20 April 1857 decommissioned.
Till 1875 was she used as a ship’s boy school at Marseilles, where after she was broken up.
In the background on the stamp are two French merchant ships seen, the La BONNE-AIMEE (second on the left) under command of Captain Gallet and L’INDIEN (fourth from the left) under command of Captain Truquetit. Have not any information on this two merchant ships.
St Helena 1990 20p sg583, scott546
Source: Watercraft Philately. http://www.shipscribe.com/marvap/index.html




