Ship model kit Belem training ship, a model by Artesania Latina made of wood on a scale of 1:75
History of the original:
The Belem is a three-masted French sailing ship from the late 19th century and is now one of the most famous and best-preserved traditional ships in Europe. It was built in 1896 at the Dubigeon shipyard in Nantes, originally as a steel cargo sailing ship for overseas trade. Its main sailing areas were the routes to Brazil and the West Indies, mainly for the transport of cocoa, sugar and coffee. The ship is a three-masted barque, robustly built for heavy Atlantic crossings, with a large cargo hold, long hull and powerful sail area for fast, economical voyages.
The Belem has a steel hull in full-framed construction, with balanced lines, strong side walls and a cleanly proportioned freeboard. It is around 58 metres long, slightly over 8 metres wide, and has a maximum sail area of around 1,000 square metres. Her rigging includes square sails on the foremast and mainmast, gaff sails on the mizzenmast and extensive staysail rigging on the bowsprit and forestays, which gives the barque rigging great versatility in changing wind directions. The stable mast and spar construction strictly follows the functional requirements of the cargo sailing ships of the time: powerful on broad reaches, reliable against the wind, structurally resilient in heavy Atlantic seas.
After decades in cargo service, the Belem underwent several conversions at the beginning of the 20th century and served temporarily as a luxury yacht, later as a training and station ship, flying the British and Italian flags, among others. The conversions left the basic character of the hull unchanged, but adapted the superstructure, interior and equipment to the respective tasks. Despite several changes of ownership, the original structure was retained, a circumstance that has preserved its historical authenticity. In the 1970s, it underwent extensive restoration, returning it to its traditional state as a square-rigged and gaff-rigged ship, supplemented by modern safety and navigation systems for training purposes.
Today, the Belem sails under the French flag as a sailing school and representative ship of the Belem Foundation. It is used to train young sailors, teach traditional seamanship and attend major maritime events in Europe. Its exterior appearance is characterised by a black hull with white decorative lines, clearly structured decks, solid wooden superstructures, polished brass fittings and carefully maintained rigging. The combination of faithful tradition and modern safety technology makes it a living testimony to the late cargo ship sailing of the windjammer era.
The Belem is considered the last French tall ship of the classic cargo ship era that is still actively sailing. Its history combines economic use, representative transformation and maritime training in a single ship, giving it a special place in European maritime history. It symbolises the robust engineering of the late 19th century, traditional navigation, nautical craftsmanship and cultural continuity within the world of tall ships.
This kit from Artesania Latina is authorised by the Belem Foundation.
Kit description:
The kit contains all the necessary components; the frames and all parts for the superstructure are laser-cut and pre-finished. The precious woods and strips are specially selected for their use and are of particularly high quality. The complete superstructure, fittings and all necessary sails are included.
This exceptionally beautiful kit contains more than 1300 parts and is designed for experienced model builders. The many details that have been precisely reproduced and are waiting to be built are particularly striking. Etched steel and brass fittings, a comprehensive set of decorations including draught marks and a complete set of sails round off the kit. A model stand is included.
The step-by-step building instructions with more than 1500 individual steps are only available digitally as a PDF download.
Who is the kit suitable for?
The kit is aimed at model builders with experience in ship model building.
What do the building instructions look like?
The following are available for download:
-Parts list
-Illustrated instructions, 1500 building steps in multiple languages, including English, as a PDF document
-Supplementary video tutorials on YouTube
What else is needed?
Paints, adhesives and tools are required and can be found in our product range.
Type A and B scrapers are recommended.
Technical data
Length: 806 mm
Width: 256 mm
Height: 540 mm
Scale: 1:75
Construction time: 600 hours
