200-ton replica of Columbus ship to dock at Nervous Nellie’s
A Spanish galleon will dock in Fort Myers Beach this week.
It will be the historic replica’s first stop in the United States, and the beginning of its East Coast tour.
Built in 2017 in the Spanish province of Huelva to celebrate the region’s 525th anniversary, the ship is a replica of the Nao Santa Maria, Christopher Columbus’s flagship in his voyage to discover the Americas in 1492.
Forty men sailed the original ship, which wrecked on modern-day Haiti.
The replica, which took 100 people and more than a year to build in the Punta Umbria shipyards, is made of fiberglass and iroko wood, a hardy tropical variety.
The 93-foot-long ship weighs 200 tons, and has three masts, the highest being more than 82 feet above the waterline.
It was built by the Fundacion Nao Victoria, an organization that constructs replicas of historic ships to sail around the world.
“We are happy and lucky to navigate through seas and play with time barriers, having the opportunity to bring and show history to American citizens,” Captain Carlos Herrera said in a press release.
The ship has previously toured Spain and France, and left to cross the Atlantic on Nov 26.
It reached San Juan, Puerto Rico in 23 days with a crew of 17 people.
The ship will be docked at Nervous Nellie’s from Feb. 7-17, and its four decks can be toured for $10 per adult, $5 per child, and $25 per family from 10 a.m. until 6:30 p.m.