VERO BEACH — Thursday afternoon, historic replicas of Christopher Columbus’ ships the Nina and the Pinta sailed beneath the 17th Street and Barber bridges and docked at the Vero Beach Marina for a week’s stay.
The ships’ captains navigated around high and low tides, and planned a detour through Lake Okeechobee last week after barge accident closed the Fort Pierce Inlet to ship traffic.
Boaters gathered in the lagoon around the marina to catch a glimpse of the tall ships or to snap a photo.
Long-time Vero Beach resident Debbie Seeley commented about the view from shore. “We watched them come in — absolutely awesome, awesome — and with all the boats around them. We didn’t know the cannon was going to go off.”
Seeley said the 65-foot Nina won the race to port, with the 85-foot Pinta trailing behind a bit. “Such a piece of history traveling up the Intracoastal Waterway.”
Until their departure the morning of March 12, the ships will be open for a combination of public tours and private events, all coordinated by the Vero Beach Chamber of Commerce.
The first of the scheduled events is a media tour, followed by a VIP reception for members of the Vero Chamber, founded in 2014, government officials and community leaders.
Then on Friday, the two ships will groups of children from local schools for a hands-on history lesson about Columbus and his voyage to the New World.
Beginning Saturday, the general public is invited to visit the ships from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily for a walk-aboard, self-guided tour. Admission charges are $8.00 for adults, $7.00 for seniors, and $6.00 for students 5 – 16. Children 4 and under are admitted free. No reservations necessary.
The Nina and Pinta tour together as a new and enhanced ‘sailing museum’ for the purpose of educating the public and school children on the ‘caravel’, a Portuguese ship used by Columbus and many early explorers to discover the world. Historians consider the caravel the Space Shuttle of the fifteenth century.
The Nina was built completely by hand and without the use of power tools. Archaeology magazine called the ship “the most historically correct Columbus replica ever built.”
The Pinta was recently built in Brazil to accompany the Nina on all of her travels. She is a larger version of the archetypal caravel.
Teachers or or organizations wishing to schedule a 30 minute guided tour with a crew member should call (787) 672-2152 or email columfnd1492@gmail.com. Minimum of 15. $5 per person. No maximum.
Parking has been designated in the area along the river on the south side of the Barber Bridge. Additional limited parking is available under the bridge, the boat ramp and MacWilliams Park area. Parking at the marina itself is extremely limited.
A walkway from the primary parking area will be provided. For those who have trouble walking (approximately ¼ mile) a passenger drop off loop will be provided but be advised that there may be delays due to traffic.
Special Needs Parking: Limited special needs parking is provided on site at the Marina. Wheelchair accessibility is not available on the ships. Anyone requiring a wheelchair is invited to view the ships from the dock free of charge and a special wheelchair parking facility has been set aside through the kindness of Waddell and Williams Insurance located at the entrance to the Marina. Waddell and Williams insurance is also providing golf cart transportation to the ships for those who need assistance.
Public transportation is available from the Go Line bus hub at the airport and at any stop along route go Line route number 1.
More information about the ships can be found on the Columbus Foundation’s website.