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One of the most famous shipwrecks in Brazil, the Corveta V 17 – Ipiranga, of the Brazilian Navy, rests about sixty meters in the waters of Ponta da Sapata in Fernando de Noronha.
Very well protected by the island’s diving operators, the Ipiranga corvette has practically all its structures preserved and inside are almost all the objects and belongings that were abandoned by the crew during the shipwreck.
History on Corveta Ipiranga
The Corvette was the fourth ship to bear this name in the Brazilian Navy, to the historic stream of São Paulo on whose banks, symbolically, the Independence of Brazil would have been declared.
The Corveta suffered a navigation accident and sank at a depth of 62 m near the island of Fernando de Noronha, becoming one of the best known dives in the region and in Brazil.
The keel was struck on October 17, 1953.
It was incorporated into the Brazilian Navy in 1955. In 1983, it sank during a commission in Fernando de Noronha. Its wreckage lies at a depth of approximately 62 meters.
The corvette was on a patrol trip along the northeast coast of the country.
On a morning of calm sea, the ship was approaching Fernando de Noronha, where it would perform tasks to support the garrison of the island, when it suddenly collided with the Head of the Shoe.
Video about the Corvette Ipiranga.
This rock, located off Ponta da Sapata, protrudes from more than 70 meters deep to just under 2 meters during low tide.
Although it is a known danger to navigation, which is even suspected to have caused the shipwreck of Américo Vespúcio’s ship, there is no nautical signage at the site.
After the collision with the head of the Zapata, the corvette Ipiranga sinks slowly.
In the background the Morro do Pico from the position where the corvette Ipiranga ended up sinking.
The crew was rescued by fishermen from Fernando de Noronha island.
After the collision, Corvette V-17 took about 8 hours to sink. During this period, several vessels from the island approached the corvette assisting in the work of unloading and removing several important parts and crew members.
The navy inquiry concluded that there was no one to blame for the accident
Bahia.ws – Tourism and Travel Guide of Bahia, Salvador and Northeast Brazil