“Columbus discovered America, the great was a sailor,” - as they say in one song ... However, before setting sail, the famous navigator for many years was looking for funding for his venture. And although many of the nobles of the time, the project of Christopher Columbus was to their liking, they were in no hurry to allocate money for its implementation. However, the future discoverer was an assertive person, and yet he collected the necessary funds, and equipped three ships, each of which has its own amazing story.
Christopher Columbus
Before you learn about the ships on which Columbus made his legendary journey, it is worth recalling the greatest navigator.
Christopher Columbus was born in 1451 in the Genoese Republic. Scientists argue especially strongly about his nationality. Christopher himself is considered a Spanish navigator, since the Spaniards equipped his expedition. However, various sources call him Italian, Catalan, and even a Jew who converted to Christianity.
In any case, Columbus was an outstanding person, which gave him the opportunity to get a decent education at the university of the Italian city of Pavia. After studying, Christopher often began to swim. Most often, he participated in sea trading expeditions. Perhaps it was because of his passion for sea travel at the age of nineteen that Columbus married the daughter of the famous navigator, Don Felipe de Palestrello.
When the future discoverer of America turned twenty-three, he began an active correspondence with the famous Florentine scientist Paolo Toscanelli, who prompted him the idea of ​​traveling to India across the Atlantic Ocean.
After making his own calculations, Christopher Columbus was convinced of the correctness of his pen pal. Therefore, in the coming years, he presented the travel project to the wealthiest people of Genoa. But they did not appreciate it and refused to finance.
Disappointed in his compatriots, Columbus proposes to organize an expedition to the king of Portugal, and after the nobles and the clergy of Spain. However, years passed, and no one ever allocated funds for the Columbus project. In desperation, the mariner even turned to the British king, but in vain. And when he was about to move to France and try his luck there, the Queen of Spain, Isabella, undertook to finance the expedition.
Columbus Travels
In total, the great navigator made four voyages from Europe to America. All of them were carried out in the period from 1492 to 1504.
During the first expedition of Columbus, about a hundred people went with him in three ships. In total, a round trip took about seven and a half months. During this expedition, sailors discovered the islands of Cuba, Haiti and the Bahamas in the Caribbean. The lands discovered by Columbus for many years were all called West India. It is noteworthy that some researchers argue that the goal of the Columbus expedition was not India, but Japan.
Over time, due to various disputes, open lands ceased to be the property of only the Spanish crown and were divided between European maritime powers.
While Christopher was in the third expedition, Vasco da Gama opened the real path to India, thereby putting the stigma on the reputation of Columbus. After this, the seafarer was sent home in shackles and wanted to judge, but the Spanish rich, who had already made good money on open lands, defended Columbus and secured his release.
Trying to prove his case, the navigator embarked on a fourth expedition, during which he finally reached the continent of America.
In the last years of his life, Christopher Columbus tried to regain the noble title granted to him by the crowned couple of the Spanish monarchs, as well as privileges in open lands. However, he failed to do so. After death, the remains of the discoverer were reburied several times, so now there are several likely graves of Christopher Columbus.
Three ships of Columbus (karakka and caravels)
When Christopher Columbus finally got funding for his first expedition, he set about preparing the ships.
First of all, it was necessary to determine the quantity. Since his venture was quite risky, equipping a large fleet was unprofitable. At the same time, one or two ships is too small. Therefore, it was decided to equip three units. What were the ships of Columbus called? The main one is the karakka "Santa Maria", and two caravels: "Nina" and "Pint".
Karakka and caravel - what is it?
The ship of Christopher Columbus "Santa Maria" by type was karakka. So-called sailing ships with 3-4 masts, common in the 15-16th centuries. It is noteworthy that in Europe they were the largest at that time. As a rule, from such ships from five hundred people to one and a half thousand could freely fit. Given that the entire crew of the three Columbus vessels was one hundred people, probably the Santa Maria was a small karakka.
The other ships of Columbus (their names are “Nina” and “Pint”) were caravels. These are 2-3-masted vessels, common in the same years. Unlike karakk, they were less adapted for long expeditions. At the same time, they were more maneuverable, and were also light and cheap, so they soon undeservedly replaced bulky karak.
The ship of Columbus "Santa Maria"
Like the portrait of the great navigator, the appearance of his first three ships was not preserved. The description of the ships of Columbus, as well as their drawings, are rather approximate and compiled from the words of surviving eyewitnesses after many years, or according to scientists.
As is commonly believed, the "Santa Maria" was a small single-deck karaka with three masts. It is assumed that the ship was up to 25 m long and up to 8 m wide. Its displacement was about 1200 tons. The ship’s hold was 3 m deep and there was a two-tier extension on the deck, where cabins and pantries were located. On the tank was a triangular platform.
"Santa Maria" (Columbus ship) was equipped with several cannons of various calibers designed for firing stone cores. It is noteworthy that in his notes the navigator periodically called his flagship either karakka or caravel. The flagship of Columbus belonged to Juan de la Cos, who was also his captain.
The fate of "Santa Maria"
Unfortunately, the Santa Maria was not destined to return home to Spain, since back in December 1492, during the first voyage, Columbus's flagship sank on reefs near Haiti. Realizing that it was impossible to save "Santa Maria", Christopher ordered that everything that could be of value be taken from her and transferred to caravels. The ship itself, it was decided to disassemble into building materials, of which later on the same island was built fort "Christmas" ("La Navidad").
Nina
According to contemporaries of the discoverer, the Ninya (Columbus ship) was the beloved discoverer of new lands. For all his travels, he overcame on it over forty-five thousand kilometers. After the death of "Santa Maria", it was she who turned into the flagship of Columbus.
The real name of this ship was "Santa Clara", but the expedition members affectionately called her "baby", which in Spanish sounds like "Nina." The owner of this ship was Juan Nino. But on Columbus’s first voyage, the captain of Nigne was Vicente Yáñez Pinson.
According to scientists, the size of "Santa Clara" was about 17 meters long and 5.5 meters wide. It is also believed that the "Ninja" had three masts. According to the ship’s magazine, this caravel initially had slanting sails, and after being in the Canary Islands they were replaced with straight sails.
Initially, the ship was a little more than twenty crew members, but after the death of "Santa Maria" they became more. It is interesting that it was on it that the sailors first began to sleep in hammocks, adopting this tradition from the Indians.
The fate of Niny
Safely returning to Spain after the first Columbus expedition, Nina also participated in Christopher’s second trip to the shores of America. During the notorious hurricane of 1495, the Santa Clara was the only surviving ship.
Between 1496 and 1498, America's favorite discoverer was captured by pirates, but thanks to the courage of its captain, he was freed and embarked on Columbus's third voyage.
After 1501 there was no information about her, probably the caravel sank during one of the campaigns.
"Pint"
Accurate data on the appearance and technical characteristics of this ship in history has not been preserved.
It is only known that the ship of Columbus “Pint” was the largest caravel in the first expedition of the
great traveler. However, for unknown reasons, after the death of "Santa Maria", the swimming leader did not choose her as the flagship. Most likely, the matter was in the owner and captain of the ship - Martin Alonso Pinson. Indeed, during the trip, he repeatedly challenged the decisions of Columbus. Probably, the great navigator was afraid of rebellion and therefore chose a ship where the captain was Martin's brother - the more flexible Vicente.
It is noteworthy that it was the sailor from the Pint who first saw the land of the New World.
It is known that ships returned home separately. Moreover, the captain of Pinta did his utmost to get his ship to come first to Spain, hoping to communicate the good news himself. But he was only a couple of hours late due to the storm.
The Fate of the Pint
It is not known how the fate of the Pinta ship evolved after Columbus's voyage. There is evidence that after the return, the captain of the ship was rather coldly received at home. And due to health problems received during the expedition, he died a few months later. Probably, the ship was either sold and changed its name, or died during the next voyage.
Other ships of Columbus
If during the first expedition the Columbus flotilla consisted of only three small ships, then in the second there were seventeen, in the third - six, and in the fourth - only four. This was due to a loss of confidence in Christopher Columbus. Ironically, but after only a few decades, Columbus will become one of the greatest heroes in Spain.
The names of most of these ships have not been preserved. It is only known that the flagship in the second expedition was a ship called "Maria Galante", and in the fourth - "La Capitan".
After so many years, after it was found out on which ships Columbus went on his first voyage and opened a new world for all of humanity, it becomes surprising how they even managed to sail there. Indeed, at the disposal of the Spanish crown were more powerful and voluminous vessels, but their owners did not want to risk them. The good news is that the owners of "Santa Maria", "Santa Clara" ("Ninyi"), as well as "Pints" were not so and risked to go on an expedition to Columbus. It is because of this that they entered world history forever, like the islands they discovered and two new continents.