#CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS SHIPS SERIES#

The Pinta, on the other hand, weighed around 70 tons and measured about 17 meters lengthwise, 13 meters keel lengthwise, five meters beam-wise, and two meters depth-wise. Size-wise, the Niña weighed around 50 -60 tons and measured about 15 meters lengthwise, 12 meters keel lengthwise, five meters beam-wise, and two meters depth-wise. Pinta’s captain was Martín Alonso Pinzón, a resident of Andalucia. Of all the three Christopher Columbus Ships, the Pinta was the fastest, reaching a maximum top speed of about 8 knots a day (around 200 miles), while Santa Maria was the slowest, owing to its larger size. Portuguese caravels also had triangular sails, hung at a 45-degree angle to the deck.Īround 18 crew members formed the Niña and the Pinta shipping entourage. They could explore the coastlines of modern-day Cuba or sail close to the coast of the canary islands. Caravel ships were designed just to beat the disadvantage of sailing in the shallow waters and coral reefs that ships like Santa Maria encountered and were lightweight and easy to manoeuvre around. Niña, in Spanish, means a girl and Pinta refer to the excessive paint job done to the third of the Christopher Columbus ships.

However, the other two ships, Niña and Pinta, solved the disadvantage that the flagship of the Christopher Columbus Ships provided and helped him complete his adventure successfully. Many archaeologists are looking for the vessel in Anne’s Bay and other regions. Its hull was used for building the fortified village of La Navidad, which has not been found yet. And while this ship had positive attributes, the main negative feature was that its building did not allow Santa Maria to sail near the shallow waters and the coral reefs, thus providing a ship with a handicap.Īccording to Colombus’s logbook, Santa Maria ran aground on a reef off Cap Haïtien, Haiti, on Christmas Eve, 1492. These masts were known as the mainmast, the foremast and the mizzenmast. Santa Maria had three main masts, each with sails. Still, Christopher Columbus changed the ship’s name to Santa Maria de la Immaculate Concepción or just Santa Maria. The original name of Santa Maria was La Gallega, after Galicia, where the ship was built. Therefore, out of the three Ships, Santa Maria was the leader.Ī cargo ship weighing around 200-600 tons and measuring about 18 meters in length, 12 meters keel lengthwise, six meters beam-wise, and two meters draft-wise, the Santa Maria had a crew of about 52 members. To put it in non-marine terms, a flagship is like a leader. Of the three Ships, Santa Maria was the adventurer’s flagship.

#CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS SHIPS SERIES#

However, they tell us about the other series of events that unfolded in those times. The ship nicknames were not liked by the church as they were based on the names of the prostitutes. Their original names were La Santa Clara, La Pinta and La Santa Gallega. Interestingly, at least two of these were nicknames given by crew to their ships and drew heavily from the vernacular. Santa Maria, Niña and the Pinta were the three Ships that have gained immense popularity and recognition in modern times, not just because they helped Christopher Columbus find out about an entire nation but also because they gave water transport a new sense of achievement and purpose, especially today when water transport is not as popular as it was earlier. After he discovered the Americas, the Spanish Crown gave him 17 ships for colonising Hispaniola. With such support, Christopher Columbus finally managed to discover America and put the existence of a powerful nation on the map of the world.Ĭolombus began his voyage on 3rd August 1492 from Palos de la Frontera, Spain, with a fleet of three ships. In the 15th century, when Christopher Columbus sailed from Spain, he had the critical support of three ships, now famously known as the Christopher Columbus Ships, and his ships’ crewmen. They are remembered in the popular culture of America, and generations of school children have grown up learning about them. In an era where ships were the only fastest mode of transport to travel across the world, Christopher Columbus’s Ships revolutionised the entire concept of ship travel. However, despite decades of dedicated searching by archaeologists, the three ships used on his first expedition are still undiscovered.

Christopher Columbus might have discovered America, but Christopher Columbus’ ships are the ones that deserve immediate recognition.

Christopher columbus ships