belem's history
1913-1914, the thirty-second and last campaign
From September 6th, 1913 till January 31th, 1914, the Belem made her last voyage for business purposes.
The captain Chauvelon (in the centre), his wife, and their two children: Olivier and Jeanne, on the poop of the Belem, at feet of the mizzen mast. Photography probably taken in the beginning of September, 1913, from the last campaign of the Belem (Nantes, Fort-de-France, Aruba, Nantes).
The destination was Fort-de-France. On board, there was passengers of exception: Madam Chauvelon, the captain’s wife, Jeanne and Olivier, their two children as well as Constance, the governess. It was not the first journey of Madam Chauvelon on board, she had already made her honeymoon trip on it a dozen years before.
The captain Chauvelon surely knew that he will have to abandon his dear boat and doubtlessly, he wanted to share this last campaign with his entire brood.
The Belem was back in Nantes on January 31th, 1914, after a stopover to Aruba where it loaded phosphates.
Of all the “Antillais”, the Belem was one of the last ones still working at that time. The world changed, steamers dethroned the big sailboats and the first world war will be almost fatal to the rest of the fleet with masting and sails. Thanks to the beauty of her lines, her future usage of luxury yacht will save her from swashbucklers and Germans.
Document : Tableau récapitulatif des 32 campagnes au commerce.