Recovering

The recovering of “Santa Maria Manuela” was a process during the years 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010, documented in detail in her official blog.
In1993, after 30 years operating under Empresa de Pesca Ribau from Aveiro, “Santa Maria Manuela” was considered obsolete and was given to slaughter, being preserved only her hull. In the following year, 1994, a group of 17 public and private institutions, created the Foundation Santa Maria Manuela in order to initiate the recovery process of the vessel as much as possible to her original looking. For several reasons the Foundation targets were not achieved and after 12 years the project was in a dead-lock.

In 2007, by unanimous agreement among the members of the Foundation, the company Pascoal & Filhos, S.A. became the owner of the hull pledging to maintain the spirit and the purposes that led to the creation of the Foundation, in a basis of financial sustainability. First, “Santa Maria Manuela” was taken to the shipyard Navalria in Gafanha da Nazaré, for the initial step of the recovering (cleaning and steelwork).

On December 29th, 2008, “Santa Maria Manuela” was towed to the shipyard Factoría Naval Marín, in Galiza, to set equipment, systems and finishings, returning to Aveiro on May 1st, 2010.
Portugal has now another classic, but at the same time, modern sailing vessel, able to rival with other worldwide Tall Ships, contributing to keep alive the Portuguese maritime call and the sailing tradition used by their vessels in the cod fishing on the XX century.