Ship replicas on display in Guntersville

By Malarie Haven (article)

The Niña and the Pinta brought Columbus to the new world in 1492. Now more than 500 years later, replicas of the two ships will bring the history of Columbus to Guntersville.

Just in time for Columbus Day on Oct. 11, the full-sized replica ships will be docked at the old Guntersville Marina on Blount Avenue beginning Wednesday to Oct. 13. They have been called “the most historically correct Columbus replicas ever built” by Archaeology magazine, according to a press release.

The Niña was built by hand from 1988 to 1991 without the use of power tools, according to a press release. The deck of the ship is 65 feet long and 18 feet wide. The draft, or part of the ship underneath the water, is seven feet high. It weighs 75 tons with a 1,919-square-foot sail.

The Pinta is a larger vessel launched in 2005 to accompany the Niña. With a larger deck space and a 40-foot, air-conditioned “main salon and open galley” below, it is available for business and private parties, according to the website.

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