Belgian Boat Show » Belgica
Belgica
It was 110 years ago that the Belgica - a former sealing ship converted to a steam/sail expedition ship - departed for Antarctica under the Belgian flag (and with the pennant of a water sport association). The moving force behind this expedition, Adrien de Gerlache, had put together a crew of ambitious explorers, including a young Norwegian named Roald Amundsen.
The ship and crew were the first to overwinter at the South Pole, in 1897-99. This expedition marked the beginning of the Belgian interest in the South Pole. The De Gerlache family was one of the instigators of the Treaty of Antarctica, and its members participated in several expeditions.
The wreck of the original Belgica has been located by the Belgica Society. It is campaigning for the preservation of this unique maritime heritage. New Belgica plans to build a replica of the ship, but with an explicitly ecological mission.
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