HUDSON, Wis. – June 28, 2013 – Before the invention of the pencil, the thermometer, or the even the sandwich, Christopher Columbus and his crew set out from Spain on their search for Asia. They didn’t find Asia, or even North America, but instead explored several Caribbean Islands and parts of Central and South America. The voyage from Europe to the Caribbean was thousands of miles, and was first made by ships called the Niña, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria. This week, replicas of the Niña and the Pinta are docked in Hudson, Wisconsin.
“These are replicas of what Columbus used in the Age of Discovery in 1492,” said Stephen Sanger, who works as the captain of the Niña.
Sanger has been traveling with these ships for six years, and says while they might be small by today’s standards, five hundred years ago, these ships were very large.
“Five hundred years earlier, the Vikings were going across in ships half the size of this one.”
At that time in history, the world’s geography was very poorly established, and Columbus’s voyages opened up the idea of new lands to the people of Spain and the rest of Europe.
“Back in the day, before Columbus even left Europe, everyone thought that the world was flat, and they were going to fall off the edge of the earth. They didn’t know this area even existed.”
Columbus’s voyages were made with about 24 people crewing the Niña and 26 on the Pinta. The average age of a crew member was 16 years old. Today, the Columbus Foundation has built replicas of two of the three ships – the Niña and the Pinta – each crewed with about seven people. According to Archaeology Magazine, the Niña is the most accurate replica ever constructed.
“This ship was constructed only using hand tools and using the exact same methods that dated over five hundred years.”
Although it’s built to classic standards, it is also equipped with several luxuries that were no available in Columbus’s time – some for the comfort of the crew, and some to keep it up to date with Coast Guard requirements. They have engines, radar, GPS, AIS communication with locks, a galley with a propane stove, air conditioning, and a TV and DVD player.
When people visit the ships and see the Niña and the Pinta, they often ask about the third ship: the Santa Maria. But, the Santa Maria was a different type of ship, and used more for cargo. It was larger and weighed more, and recreating that ship would require a minimum depth of 14 feet of water everywhere they travel. Currently the Niña and the Pinta only require 7 feet of water, and several places they go just don’t have a depth of 14 feet.
As far as the Niña and the Pinta, Stephen says that he likes traveling around the country, and sharing the history of early exploration done by these caravels.
“These are only the traveling replicas of Columbus’s ships in existence today. You’re not going to see anything else like it in the world.”
The Niña and the Pinta will be at the Hudson City Docks through July 9. From there, they travel to Lake City and then to Winona, before heading to Iowa.
Related Links:
Ship Schedule
The Columbus Foundation
Cost to Visit:
$8 Adults
$7 Seniors
$6 Student 5-16
Free 4 and under
