El Galeon Replica Docks in Charleston
By Aiswarya Lakshmi
Wednesday, August 26, 2015
The Spanish ship El Galeon will be docked in Charleston for a short time. The 170-foot wooden replica of a Spanish galleon is owned and operated by the Nao Victoria Foundation of Seville, Spain.
A crew of 22 sailors maneuver the ship the same way 16th century sailors did.
The ship will be docked at the Maritime Center and open for tours from Wednesday August 26 until Monday Aug. 31, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Five of the six decks are available to tour and hold an exhibition about the “San Pelayo,” the Spanish galleon that founded St. Augustine, the first city in the United States.
"This the beginning of the history of the United States," said Fernando Viota, manager of El Galeon.
After Columbus discovered America, galeons like this were built by the Spanish to bring cargo over for colonization.
"Our main goal is to share all of the maritime history between Spain and the world," said Viota.
Today, this is the only El Galeon replica still on the water. The Spanish nonprofit foundation called Nao Victoria built it in 2009.
The El Galeón tour is a self-guided walking tour of the ship. Once aboard, visitors are free to roam above and below the decks, talk to the current crew members, take photos and absorb dozens of interactive exhibits, videos, historical documents and displays.