The Nina, The Pinta, and Lulu's

We had the opportunity to see historically correct replicas of The Nina and the Pinta. This type of common trading vessels was used by Christopher Columbus on his first voyage across the Atlantic Ocean in 1492. The two ships were docked at Lulu's Sunset Grill.

The Pinta

The Nina

Where is the Santa Maria?  It sunk off the coast of the Bahamas during its first voyage.  That's OK though as Christopher Columbus, who sailed on that ship, thought it was a slow and clumsy ship.

There were 24 crewmen on the Nina, the Pinta had 26, and 40 on the Santa Maria. He sailed back to Europe on the Pinta. They could only sail when there was a strong aft wind for the sails along with the keel. The ships are black because they were covered in pine tar to make it water resistant. The decking on the ships was Brazilian ironwood, a very heavy and dense wood.



The first voyage was a little over seven months. The Captain said the ships were like little corks floating in the ocean.  I was surprised how small these ships were.  I don't think I would have survived the trip.

Holding Jacura Brazilian Ironwood

The crew are volunteers from all over the United States and the Caribbean.  The Columbus Foundation is always looking for crew.

What Happens in Alabama, Stays in Alabama
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