| Fourteen-hundred-and-ninety-two Columbus sailed the ocean blue. We recently took Adam to see replicas of Christopher Columbus' famous ships that docked in town for public tours. The Nina was built by hand without power tools and is considered to be the most historically accurate Columbus replica ever built. The Pinta was actually built larger than the original. Both were created by The Columbus Foundation. I was most struck by how tiny these ships are! I cannot imagine spending months onboard on an ocean crossing. No windows below, very small deck space, the smell of pine tar (which seals and makes the ships black). These ships are actively in use by the crew of volunteers who sail with the ship and lead the tours from city to city. Because the crew lives on board, we could not go down below into the private cabins. I had hoped to see it set up as it would have been with supplies, livestock, sleeping arrangements, food prep, etc., and I think it would have given us all a better picture of how primitive life in that time was like. Volunteers run the tours now in exchange for free room and board. One girl I spoke to had just been on board for 2 weeks, and another girl had been there for 6 weeks. Both said it was an awesome experience. I think Michael wanted to sign up and cruise around the country for a stint. For me, the thought of going on a river cruise on this boat made my stomach turn, honestly. (I'll prefer my cruise ships with a solarium and silly towel animals, thankyouverymuch.) Adam had a great time running around the ships, using the pulleys, and manning the cannons. Sam had a great time with his feet firmly planted on dry land. (Sam and boats don't mix.) It was pretty neat to see them docked alongside the skyline of a modern city and wished we had seen them in motion with all sails down. It must be an impressive sight. |
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