Sunday, August 16, 2009

The Boats That Sailed to The New World











Last Friday, my daughter and I took a tour that made history come home to us. We went to Michigan City, IN to see the exact replicas of the Nina and the Pinta: two of the boats that sailed to the New World under Columbus' command.




These replicas, built to the exact standards of the 1400's, and faithful to the original plans, were crafted with the tools and made from the woods that were used then. They are works of art.




But - they are SMALL! It is difficult to imagine, by today's standards, how 24 young men (average age was between 14 and 19) could exist on a boat that was less than 75' long, with no sanitation, sleeping on deck because the hold was full of provisions. What a tale!




To walk these replicas is to realize how utterly difficult that voyage must have been (again, by today's standards, which are all we really know and understand).




Here are some photos to share with you all.




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