Based on the Gil Eannes hospital ship, this project was born to be a leisure place that pays tribute to the seafaring history of the city of Viana do Castelo. This ship was of great importance for sailors who sailed long distances to fish for cod, receiving the nickname “Misericórdia do Mar”.

Due to the harsh conditions of the men who fished cod in Terranova and who did not have medical assistance, initially, between 1927 and 1955, the Portuguese Navy adapted the German ship Lahneck as a hospital ship, renamed it Gil Eannes and sent it back to Terranova. Later, between 1955 and 1963, it was replaced by a new vessel with the same name, but this time built in Viana do Castelo, which also served as a courier, tugboat, icebreaker and ensured the supply of fishermen. Later, between 1963 and 1973, it even made trips as a refrigerated and passenger ship, in addition to a diplomatic trip to Brazil. It was in 1988 when it was decided to rehabilitate it thanks to the Vianense society for use as a museum ship that explains the city’s maritime past.

The play area that bears the same name, and that honours this ship, is fragmented into different parts, being perceived as a unit from a distance, but at the same time differentiating into areas of universal access, areas for girls and small boys and a large central tower for the elderly. In addition, the set is complemented with other games such as the Doris boat, which recreates those used in cod fishing in Terranova.