Fantôme II

Fantôme II
Rig Class.Auxiliary Barque
Year built:1896
General characteristics
Ton:611 tons
Beam:

Originally named Belem, she was built at Chantenay sur Loire in 1896 by the Dubigeon shipbuilding company.  She was ordered by the French industrialist Fernand Crouan to bring cocoa from Brazil for the Menier chocolate factory.  She continued this trade until 1914 when she was purchased by the Duke of Westminster who refitted her as a luxury yacht.

Arthur Edward Guinness acquired her in 1921 and renamed her Fantôme II.  In 1921 he took his daughters Aileen, Maureen and Oonagh on a 40,000 mile cruise around the world.

Decommissioned in 1939, the Belem was abandoned in a creek at the Isle of Wight. An Italian foundation restored her as a sail training vessel in 1952 and she was bought by the Belem Foundation, sponsored by the French bank Caisse d’Epargne in 1980.  Since then the Belem has been based at Nantes as the last major French sailing ship. In 2005 she visited Waterford during the 2005 Tall Ships race.

Owners

Namefromto
The Hon Ernest Guinness 1922 1948

More Images