IGY Destination, St Katharine Docks Marina will be welcoming another replica ship to the Docks this May.
The 93-ft museum ship “Nao Santa Maria” will be arriving weather permitting on May 28th and opening to the public May 29th-June 8th. The visit follows in the wake of the successful stay of the 49-metre Nao Victoria Foundation ship, the Galeón Andalucía in September 2024.
In the 15th century, the navigator and explorer Christopher Columbus led an expedition onboard his flagship, the Santa Maria. The four-masted nao (carrack) is thought to be one of the most significant and influential ship designs in history and was capable of coping with the heavy winds and waves of the Atlantic Ocean. Columbus departed from Huelva in Spain on August 3, 1492 and sailed west in search of a faster way to China instead of the established route around Africa and across the Indian Ocean. Ten weeks later, on October 12, 1492, it made landfall at what is now San Salvador in the Bahamas.
In 2018, a full-size authentic replica of the Santa Maria was launched in Spain by the Nao Victoria Foundation, who specialize in recreating such vessels to research, promote and develop greater awareness of their heritage and contribution to maritime history. Constructed in accordance to original size and design, yet equipped with modern navigation and communication equipment, Santa Maria is "remarkably authentic." The cabins are furnished with either genuine or reproduction artifacts, with the interior including the Captain’s cabin, holds, crew, and working areas. The ship’s four masts accommodate 300 m2 (3,250 sq ft) of sail, and its rigging incorporates more than 3.2 km (2 miles) of rope.
Relaunched after a refit in Spain, the Santa Maria is now embarking on its first tour of north European waters and selected British ports. The ship will be berthed in the historic centre basin, adjacent to the Lock and Haven Building.
