Perhaps, standing here, you’re wondering about the story of this majestic vessel the Buque Museo Corbeta A.R.A. Uruguay. This ship is not just a museum. It is a piece of Argentine history afloat.
The Buque Museo Corbeta A.R.A. Uruguay is the oldest ship in the Argentine Navy. It was officially incorporated in September 1874. This corbeta represents the last of Sarmiento’s legendary squadron. It participated in revolutions, rescues, and expeditions. It even served as a floating headquarters for the Naval Military School.
Ordered in 1872, she was constructed in England. The Buque Museo Corbeta A.R.A. Uruguay was built at Cammell Laird Bros. She has a sister ship called the ARA Paraná. The ship is a barque rigged corvette with double topsails. She has three masts. Two of them have yards. Her hull is made of steel covered in teak wood.
In 1877, the Buque Museo Corbeta A.R.A. Uruguay became a training ship. Cadets from the Naval Military School trained on her. In 1878, the ship repaired the submarine telegraph cable. It connected Martín García. Afterward, she carried out a hydrographic campaign. The campaign mapped the area between Cape San Antonio and Corrientes. A nautical chart of Samborombón was created.
Under the command of Lieutenant Commander Martín Guerrico, the ARA Uruguay was part of an expedition to Patagonia in late 1878. The goal was to assert Argentine sovereignty south of the Santa Cruz River. 39 cadets from the Naval Military School were part of the crew.
In 1882, the Buque Museo Corbeta A.R.A. Uruguay transported foreign scientific commissions. They observed the transit of Venus across the sun.
But the most famous mission of the Buque Museo Corbeta A.R.A. Uruguay came in 1903. Under Captain Julián Irizar, it rescued Otto Nordenskjöld’s Swedish Antarctic expedition. Their ship, the Antarctic, had been destroyed by ice. The Argentine newspaper La Nación covered the event. The paper described the enthusiastic send-off the ship received as she departed to rescue the scientists. President Julio Argentino Roca bid farewell to the crew. Many citizens gathered to see the Buque Museo Corbeta A.R.A. Uruguay off.
In 1919, the Buque Museo Corbeta A.R.A. Uruguay carried the remains of the Mexican poet Amado Nervo to Mexico. The corvette also supported scientific missions. These missions studied the coasts of southern Argentina.
Retired from service in 1926, the ship became a floating powder magazine. In 1954, she was rebuilt at the Río Santiago Shipyards. In 1967, the Buque Museo Corbeta A.R.A. Uruguay was declared a National Historic Monument. Today, she is docked in Puerto Madero. She serves as a museum ship.
As you explore the Buque Museo Corbeta A.R.A. Uruguay remember its rich history. Think of the brave sailors and scientists who sailed on her. Consider the important missions she undertook. She is a symbol of Argentine naval history and scientific exploration. She links the past with the present.