The Belem made her maiden voyage in 1896, the same year as the first Olympic games

On 8 May 2024, the historic Belem arrived in the bustling port city of Marseille, marking the arrival of the Olympic torch in France. More than 150 000 spectators gathered to watch the ship sail into the bay, escorted by more than a thousand boats. Last year, Alliatech, one of Belzona's French dealers, contributed to the restoration of this historic ship.

Considered the last great French merchant ship, the Belem is an impressive three-masted vessel, 34 metres high and 58 metres long. Belem has an impressive 22 sails and a huge surface area of 1200 m2 (1435 yd 2 ), and is powered by two 575 horsepower diesel engines that combine tradition and modernity. Interestingly, carrying the Olympic flame was not the first time a fire had broken out on board the Belem. The ship caught fire on its maiden voyage in 1896, the same year the Olympics were revived, en route to the Brazilian port city of Belem, the ship's namesake city, but was repaired and was able to continue its journey.

The propeller shaft showed heavy wear due to seawater corrosion

The 1896 Olympic trip to Belem

After the Olympic flame was lit in Athens on Saturday 27 April, it began its 2,000-kilometre (1,242-mile) journey from the port of Piraeus to Marseille. The Olympic flame was watched 24 hours a day to keep it lit and twelve days later it arrived on the French coast. At the ceremony preceding the ship's arrival in France, 800 illuminated flares formed a torch in the air, followed by a pyrotechnic display. When the ship docked, the air force overflight was marked by aircraft flying the Olympic rings and the colours of the French flag, and more than 150,000 people lined the streets of Marseille.

Case study: a propeller shaft suffering from severe corrosion

The propeller shaft of this 19th century naval vessel was badly damaged, suffering from severe corrosion and pitting. The client wanted to preserve the shaft because of its historical significance; replacing the shaft would have been very expensive and he did not want to lose a piece of the original vessel. It was essential that the solution chosen would be able to repair the damaged areas of the shaft and protect it from future corrosion by seawater.

The propeller shaft showed severe wear caused by corrosion from seawater.

Alliatech, an authorised Belzona dealer with over 40 years of experience, was selected to carry out the repair. The repair was carried out while the Belém was in dry dock at the Saint-Nazaire shipyard as part of a major refurbishment of the vessel. After sandblasting and salt washing the surface, the damaged propeller shaft had to be restored to its original profile. Belzona 1111 (Super Metal), a repair composite for metal repair and recoating, was chosen for the rebuild.
The shaft was then protected from corrosion by sea water with two coats of Belzona 5821. This product is specifically designed to provide long-term protection against erosion and corrosion when immersed, giving excellent protection against the effects of salt water.

The use of these two Belzona products allowed the original 127 year old shaft to be preserved, avoiding costly replacement and preserving a piece of history.

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