History sailed into town last Thursday with the arrival of the Niña and Pinta, replica ships owned by The Columbus Foundation. Capt. Morgan Sanger piloted the floating maritime museums up the Indian River Lagoon to the Vero Beach City Marina where they will remain docked until April 9. The visit was sponsored by the Vero Beach Chamber of Commerce in conjunction with the City of Vero Beach, the Vero Beach Power Squadron and Sunrise Rotary.
Built as a historically accurate replica, the 65-foot Niña was constructed by hand, without the use of power tools, and first set sail in December 1991. The Niña is a replica of the ship Columbus used to sail across the Atlantic on his three voyages of discovery to the new world beginning in 1492; sailing the tiny ship more than 25,000 miles.
The new Niña visits ports all over the Western Hemisphere as an educational tool along with her sister ship, the 85-foot Pinta. A larger version of the archetypal caravel, the Pinta was built in Brazil and launched in February 2005. The pair travels about 10 months of the year, making between 30 and 40 stops along the Gulf Coast, East Coast, Great Lakes and the Midwestern River System.
“I’m the cook,” said Allison Asher, a member of the all-volunteer crew. “I was working at a marina bar/restaurant in Lake City, Minnesota, and I saw the Niña traveling along on her own 18 years ago. I heard the canon and saw this black ship on Lake Pepin. The crew came in and I asked them how to get a job. I came on for 10 days and stayed for five years. I have come and gone ever since.”
She said that while the work can be hard, the travel is fun and the people they meet along the way are interesting. “It challenges you. It uses everything you’ve got,” said Asher, adding with a smile, “We don’t do it for the money.”
And despite the close living conditions – considerably better than in the days of Columbus, but still not a luxury yacht – the crew all gets along well.
“Living conditions are cozy,” said Kat Wilson, who signed on to the Pinta in August 2015 and is now First Mate. “They’re certainly nice compared to what Columbus’ men had, but it’s like camping in an RV.”
Originally from Tallahassee, Wilson joined the ship in Grafton, Illinois. She has since attended Sea School in Bayou La Batre, Alabama, receiving her Captain’s License upgrade to Near Coastal Master up to 100 Tons, and her Auxiliary Sailing Endorsement.
“I had never even seen the ships before,” said Wilson. “My father drove me up and I moved in that day. I’ve been on it ever since. The best part is seeing the different cultures in my own country that we get to experience as we travel.”