Nina and Pinta Replicas to Dock at Palmetto Marina

Visitors will have the chance to re-discover the historic Nina and Pinta ships, when wooden replicas sail to the Regatta Pointe Marina.

On Friday, April 5, the pair will be docked at the Palmetto marina, at 1005 Riverside Dr., for 10 days and be open to the public for tours. The final day for the boats will be April 14.

The ships actually sail into port on April 4, but will only be open for private viewing that day. The voyage of re-discovery is sponsored by the Columbus Foundation.

The historically accurate ships represent two of the three sailing vessels that Columbus led in 1492 to North America: the Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria.

The ships are lauded by historians for their attention to detail. The Nina was built completely by hand and without power tools, with construction faithful to the craftwork and carpentry used in the 1400s.

The Pinta is a newer vessel, just built in Brazil. The style and workmanship also are similar to the Columbus ship, but this floating museum is larger than the original to accommodate visitors to the vessel.

The ships will be open for self-guided tours, with admission $8 for adults, $7 for seniors, $6 for students, and free for pre-schoolers and younger children. Tour hours are 9 am to 6 pm.

Schools can arrange tours in advance by calling 787-672-2152. Email columfnd@surfbvi.com

You can visit the website that describes the ships by going to www.thenina.com

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