One of the world’s ‘most spectacular’ tall ships will visit Merseyside
One of the world’s “most spectacular” tall ships will be visiting Merseyside next week, with the public invited to go on board. The Peruvian navy sailing training ship B.A.P. Unión will be visiting Liverpool’s Pier Head next week.
The visit is part of a celebration of the Wirral’s links with the South American country of Peru with a goodwill visit. The B.A.P. Unión is expected in the Mersey at lunchtime on Sunday, August 31, before berthing at Liverpool’s Pier Head at around 1pm.
During her visit, the vessel will be open for the public to go onboard on Sunday between 4pm and 7pm, Monday and Tuesday between 10am and 7pm, and Wednesday between 10am and midday. She is due to depart in the early hours of Thursday, September 4.
The four-masted barque, which was launched in 2015, has travelled around 9,000 miles from Peru, calling in to London docks, before joining almost 50 others in the Tall Ships Races in Aberdeen in July. Around 250 crew, including 71 navy cadets, are onboard.
Mayor of Wirral, Cllr Brian Kenny, said the links with Peru were “a friendship forged in our great shipyards 160 years ago”. He said: “The visit is the culmination of an active friendship between Wirral and Peru’s navy and embassy, which stretches back to 2011. During that time we have welcomed their ambassador and naval leaders to Birkenhead many times, but I’m sure that next week’s visit by one of the world’s most beautiful sailing ships will be extra special.”
Wirral’s Heritage Champion, Cllr Jerry Williams, said the commander of the Peruvian fleet in the 1870s, Grand Admiral Grau’s most famous ship, the Huascar, was built by the Laird brothers of Birkenhead. The ship was launched from Cammell Laird in 1866.
It had been ordered by Peru for the war against Spain, which at the time was seeking to reclaim its former American colonies. The vessel boasted an array of cutting-edge features, including revolving gun turrets and an iron ram, which gave it a huge advantage over adversaries.
Grand Admiral Grau became a Peruvian hero in a subsequent conflict against Chile, where he overcame superior forces. He now enjoys a similar legendary status in Peru as Admiral Lord Nelson does in the UK.
Cllr Williams added: “Almost 160 years after the Huascar first entered the Mersey, the B.A.P. Unión will celebrate her legacy on the same waters, and at 115m long and 53m high from the waterline, I’m sure it will be a spectacular sight.”
By Ed Barnes – Local Democracy Reporter
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