Tender To Nave Italia Foundation provides non-profit organizations and institutions with the possibility to board Nave Italia, a sailing ship with a classic “schooner brig” rig: with its 61 meters length and its 1300 square meters of sail surface Nave Italia is currently the biggest ship of it’s kind in the world.
Nave Italia can accommodate up to 22 guests in addition to the crew; it’s a place where research, education, training, and therapy projects are carried out.
The ship has been registered as an Italian Navy sailship since March 19, 2007, and the crew is made up of Navy personnel.
Due to her size and sail area, Nave Italia appears to be the largest sailing ship in the world in the category of brigs currently in active navigation service.
Nave Italia is a brig-schooner armed sailing ship with two main masts, foremast and main, plus bowsprit:
The hull, masts and poles are made of steel while the deck, boom and peak are made of wood.
The ship is equipped with 14 sails in synthetic material:
9 cruisingsails:
5 square sails on the foremast (from bottom to top):
The purpose of the cruising sails is to be able to make the most of upwind winds. These generally have a triangular shape except for the mainsail which is trapezoidal (“auric” mainsail). The square sails generally have a rectangular or trapezoidal shape and have the function of pushing the ship by exploiting the winds from the running sectors. They are luffed (i.e. tied) to horizontal poles and their lower edges are tightened by sheets tied to the deck or to the lower yard. These sails are equipped with special ropes for their closure called “brails”.
On board the Unit there are “running riggings” and “standing riggings”. The running riggings consist of all those moving lines that are used to hoist, lower and maneuver the sails. On Nave ITALIA we find poles, sheets, brails, down hauls, topping lifts and tackle blocks.
The standing riggings consist of a system of steel rods that serve to hold the structure of the ship, due to the significant wind-related stresses to which she is subject. Starting from the bow towards the stern you will forestays, shrouds and backstays.
As safety devices at sea, there are 4 individual lifebuoys equipped with a light, as well as 4 life rafts (capacity 25 people each) in case of ship abandon.
The crew of Nave Italia is made up of professional sailors of the Italian Navy divided into Officers, Non-commissioned Officers, and Enlisted Personel, for a total of 21 members. The crew working inside the ship is specialized in different areas and hierarchically organized. The nautical tradition distinguishes the officers from the crew: together they constitute the shipping company as a whole. The shipping company members hold certain ranks, according to a hierarchical order which is headed by the Commander.
The Commander has the highest rank and is the highest authority on board. He is the guardian of the honor and traditions of the Navy. He impersonates the ship.
He is responsible for the organization, placement and management of the employees, of whom he takes care of the professional and general technical training. Furthermore, he is responsible for maintaining a level of efficiency of the ship to guarantee her safe conduct for the fulfillment of the assigned mission, as well as exercising adequate guidance and supervisory action on the regular progress of the administrative activity on board .
The Second in Command (also called “Second”) is the right arm to the Commander to whom he provides support for the fulfillment of the mission. He is directly responsible for the organization and management of general on-board services, for the coordination between departments,logistics, discipline and safety.
The Navigator has the main task of planning the navigation and following its safe conduct, according to the instructions given by the Commander. He is also responsible for control of the weather situation, updating the nautical documentation, and managing the radio navigation systems. He is assisted in his functions by the Course Officer and the Telecommunicator.
The Boatswain is the most senior in rank among the under-officers assigned to the Marine Service (Helmsmen), and the most experienced. He is the expert of the traditional knowledge of seafaring art, acquired after a long activity on the ship and the sea.
These are his tasks:
Under the direct control of the Nostromo are his Suborder and the Helmsmans.
The Suborder of the Boatswain assists him in carrying out seafaring maneuvers and managing equipment.
The Chief Engineer is responsible for propulsion, power generation, fire, and leakage safety and all the arrangements and technical systems of the ship. More specifically, his duties are:
In carrying out his functions, he avails himself of the collaboration of the Head of the Engines and the Chief Electrician.
The Head of the Engines is responsible for conducting the propulsion system and diesel engines for generating electricity, managing and maintaining the mechanical, hydraulic and passive safety (fire and anti-leak) systems. He is assisted in his work by the Motorist.
The Chief Electrician is responsible for the distribution of energy. He takes care of the maintenance of the on-board electrical systems and equipment. He is assisted in his work by the Electrician.
The Head Nurse guarantees health care in case of need.
The Accountant is responsible for managing the money assigned to the ship and handling all administrative / accounting practices relating to the personnel on board. In addition, he takes care of the keeping of accounting records and carries out administrative procedures for the acquisition of goods and services.
The Route Secretary supports the Navigator in carrying out his duties by updating the nautical charts and publications and taking care of the layout of the bridge during navigation.
The Helmsmans take care of steering the ship, translating the orders given by the bridge into maneuvers.
The Telecommunicator, together with the Course Officer, is responsible for the management of navigation and the management of on-board radio and radio navigation equipment.
The Motorist collaborates with the Head of the Engines in the management of the propulsion systems and of the hydraulic and mechanical systems on board.
The Electrician, together with the Chief Electrician, manages the on-board electrical systems and equipment.
The Chefs are responsible for the packaging of the meals and the management of the galley.
The Secretary is responsible for processing the data of all on-board personnel. In particular, he processes data relating to the organization, service and needs of the crew. In addition, he is responsible for the postal service by handling the ship’s correspondence.
