Shipping is one of the world’s most important economic activities. In Portugal, it reached its apogee in the third quarter of the 20th century, when mail and goods were still largely transported by sea. One of the enduring memories from that period is the ships, of which seven notable examples have been chosen for this stamp issue.
The ships in question were chosen following a pre-selection process conducted by the authors. The aim of this pre-selection was to represent the Portuguese Merchant Navy’s various significant periods over the last 100 years.
The authors organised an online survey aimed at the maritime community in Portugal, which resulted in 263 validated responses. As a result of this survey, seven ships were chosen from among the most representative of the Portuguese merchant fleet over the last 100 years.
Luis Miguel Correia, Rui Reis
Authors of the book Marinha Mercante Portuguesa
[Portuguese Merchant Navy]
Liner SERPA PINTO 1940-1955 Companhia Colonial de Navegação, Lisbon
Acquired in 1940 from Yugoslavia, the Serpa Pinto, formerly the Princesa Olga (1935-1940) and the Ebro (1915-1935), was a luxury liner built in Belfast in 1915 for the famous British Royal Mail.
In the Second World War, now flying the Portuguese flag, it provided important services by transporting thousands of refugees from Lisbon to the Americas, making two voyages to East Africa, and transporting troops to the Azores and Cape Verde. After the war, it enjoyed great success on the Brazilian and Venezuelan routes and as a cruise ship, before being scrapped in Belgium in 1955.
Liner SANTA MARIA 1953-1973 Companhia Colonial de Navegação, Lisbon
The history of the Santa Maria will forever be linked to its storming and subsequent hijacking on 22 January 1961. The assault was carried out by a group of Portuguese and Spanish opponents of the Franco and Salazar regimes. The Portuguese group was led by Henrique Galvão.
The attack resulted in the death of the ship’s third officer, João do Nascimento Costa, while several crew members were also injured. The third officer was posthumously honoured as a Knight of the Order of the Tower and Sword.
Liner PRÍNCIPE PERFEITO 1961-1976 Companhia Nacional de Navegação, Lisbon
The Príncipe Perfeito was the largest of the Companhia Nacional de Navegação shipping company’s 54 passenger ships.
When it was launched in 1961, it was described as a ‘ship with modern features, a raked bow and a cruiser stern; a single mast over the bridge and a funnel with an attractive, unassuming design.’
It made regular voyages between Lisbon and Portuguese Africa until June 1975, and from 1962 to 1974 it also distinguished itself on countless cruises. Sold abroad in 1976, it was used as accommodation in Arabia and Greece, under various names and flying the flags of Panama and Greece, until it was scrapped in India in 2001.
