top stories : : : :

Today is the last day to partake of a rare opportunity to board the exact replica of the Niña, Christopher Columbus' favorite ship that has been sailing around the world for years. The Niña docked last Friday in the Petaluma Turning Basin and has been open to the public for tours between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m.

The 94-foot vessel, built in Brazil entirely by hand, without the use of power tools, has been called by Archaeology magazine, "the most historically correct Columbus replica ever built." The ship has been touring continually since 1992 as a "sailing museum" for the purpose of educating the public and school children about the caravel.

A caravel is a light sailing ship with two or three masts. The Niña was used by Columbus in 1492, as well as by man early explorers in the 15th century, to discover the world. Caravels were also used as cargo carriers, warships, patrol boats and even pirate ships.

Their advantages were speed, a shallow draught (its draft is seven feet and displacement is 100 tons) and its maneuverability. The other two caravels in Columbus' fleet were the Pinta and the Santa Maria.

The Niña has a crew of seven, according to Capt. Kyle Friauf. In 1492, life aboard the Niña was not for the light-hearted. The original ship carried a crew of 27 sailors along with many live animals - all lived together below deck - and as much other food for all onboard as possible. Survival depended on arriving at places that did not have food and still having some left onboard. The toilet for the ship did not exist, it was "over the side."

The quarters for living are extremely tiny - bunk beds below deck, a small galley for cooking and no extra space. There is no hot water onboard except for what little could be boiled on the propane stove. There is no refrigeration, an icebox holds 1,000 pounds of ice.

A working canon is mounted up top on the starboard stern.

Friauf said the Niña's top speed is about seven knots and that she likes to sail rather than be under motor power. The ship has traversed the Panama Canal twice, been to Barcelona and many other ports of call. Most recently she docked in Sacramento prior to coming up the Petaluma River. She will be headed for Oakland this evening after 6 p.m. then, will make her way down the California Coast to San Diego stopping at various ports along the way.

Niña First Mate Doc Kaiser, who comes from Wisconsin and has been with the ship for more than 10 years, said they had to time their arrival and departure to coincide with the San Francisco Bay tides. "We  will leave with the tides since the Petaluma basin is so shallow. It will take us about an hour to get underway. The vessel has to give the bridge tender 24-hour notice so that the Petaluma River Bridge (also known as the Fourth Street Bridge) can be opened to allow for the Niña's tall masts."

As for the ship and crew's reception in the North Bay, Kaiser said, laughing, "Great! Everyone's been really nice and we've had fantastic crowds. The Petaluma Yacht Club has helped us out with showers." He said there are some places they are happy to arrive at and others they are happy to leave. "We were happy to arrive here."

Designing and building the sailing replica, maintaining the Niña and its voyages to international destinations is made possible by the Columbus Foundation, founded in 1986 in the British Virgin Islands.

Cost to tour the ship is $5/adults; $4/seniors 60 and over; and $3/students. For additional information, visit www.thenina.com.

Please log in to comment:

*Member ID:
*Password:
	Forgot Your Password?

Not registered yet? Sign up here! (registration is free)

Note: All fields are required

Personal Information

First Name:

Last Name:

Address:

City:

State:

ZIP code:

Phone:

Email: (this will serve as your username)

Desired password:

Re-type password: