A replica of Christopher Columbus’s ship the Nina recently docked on the St. Croix in Hudson, Wisconsin. The ship was on a trip up the Mississippi during it’s recent tour of North American ports.

The last day in July was a beautiful sunny day, perfect for some sightseeing. Peter was a little “ho-hum” about seeing a sailing ship until he got sight of it. His excitement grew when he realized it looked like a Pirate ship.

The ship, a Caravel, is a replica of the one used by Columbus to cross the ocean on his famous voyage to the New World. The replica was built in Brazil using ship-building techniques common in the 15th century. It has been described as the most authentic replica Columbus era ship ever built.

The first thing that struck us when visiting the ship was how small it is. It’s hard to imagine three ships as small as this crossing the Atlantic 500 years ago. During that voyage the ships’ holds were packed with cargo, foodstuffs and livestock. The only place for the crew to sleep was on the open deck. The captain’s quarters were a tiny space below deck, not much larger than a crate. This was the only private space on board the ship.

We took a few pictures while we visited this Nina. The picture at left is a press photo of the replica at sail. During our visit the sails were up. I understand the Coast Guard required the Nina to travel in this area using a motor.

To learn more about the replica of the Nina, or the history of Columbus’s original ship, you can visit www.thenina.com .