In 1983, under the auspices of the Spanish Navy and the Institute of Naval History and Culture in Spain, Jose Maria Martinez-Hidalgo was engaged in the study of the three famous Columbus Ships. That study led to a comprehensive project to construct accurate replicas of the three Columbus ships, the Santa Maria, the Pinta and the Niña.

On Oct.12, 1991, 499 years after that historic first voyage, the three ships were christened by Spanish royalty and set out to sea to replicate that first voyage of explorer Christopher Columbus. Crossing the Atlantic to the Americas, the three ships toured 18 U.S. cities before the small fleet was eventually sold to a foundation in Corpus Christi who wanted to provide a permanent home to the replicas and to make them available to the general public for both dock and sailing tours.

An unfortunate harbor accident the following year, when a barge in the harbor struck two of the ships at dock, resulted in a change of plans and two of the ships, the Santa Maria and the Pinta, were moved to a special shipyard adjacent to the Corpus Christi Museum of Science and History where they were to be repaired and restored to a condition that would allow for sailing tours. The cost of that hefty project, however, resulted in years of budget controversy and sent the third ship of the fleet, the Niña, to the Corpus Christi Harbor where she remains docked today.

While efforts continue to raise funds for repairs and restoration of the replicas, the Santa Maria and Pinta remain an integral part of the Museum's offerings and ship tours are conducted daily. Visitors can also view the Niña at the harbor, but the ship is closed to the public and access restricted.

None-the-less, the Columbus ship replicas remain a popular attraction in Corpus Christi and play an important role in the Museums educational programs. The Columbus Fleet Association, who was charged with making the project work, was able to continue to earn adequate revenue to support the cost of operations initially but could not generate sufficient income to make payments on the substantial debt, plus the added debt from the bonds that funded the dry dock facility. The Association ceased operation closed the ships in October 1999. In May 2001 the City of Corpus Christi entered into an agreement with the Columbus Fleet Association and the Spanish government to reopen Pinta and Santa Maria as a part of the Museum tour and to maintain all three ships . Revenue from admission fees and facility rentals support the costs of operation and maintenance.

During the first two weeks in October each year, the Museum holds its annual "Columbus Days" celebration.  School groups and visitors are greeted aboard the Pinta by costumed tour guides who portray actual Columbus crew members. Reservations are recommended as these tour programs fill up quickly.

The Original Voyage
By design or luck, explorer Chris Columbus is credited as being one of the first Europeans to set foot in the New World. He may not have discovered America as our Native American relatives remind us, but one must admit a transatlantic crossing in ships like the Pinta, Nina and Santa Maria was a very bold adventure for the day. The voyage was riddled with trouble and strife, the threat of mutiny, a shortage of fresh water and food, and sickness and fear of the unknown.

Having convinced the King and Queen of Spain to finance his voyage, Christopher Columbus departed mainland Spain on August 3, 1492. He quickly made port in the Canary Islands for a final restocking and left there on September 6. He was in command of three ships: the Pinta, the Niña, and the Santa María. Although Columbus was in overall command, the Pinta was captained by Martín Alonso Pinzón and the Niña by Vicente Yañez Pinzón.

First landfall: San Salvador
On October 12, Rodrigo de Triana, a sailor aboard the Pinta, first sighted land. Columbus himself later claimed that he had seen a sort of light or aura before Triana did, allowing him to keep the reward he had promised to give whomever spotted land first. The land turned out to be a small island in the present-day Bahamas. Columbus named the island San Salvador, although he remarked in his journal that the natives referred to it as Guanahani. There is some debate over which island was Columbus’ first stop; most experts believe it to be San Salvador, Samana Cay, Plana Cays or Grand Turk Island.

Second landfall: Cuba
Columbus explored five islands in the modern-day Bahamas before he made it to Cuba. He reached Cuba on October 28, making landfall at Bariay, a harbor near the eastern tip of the island. Thinking he had found China, he sent two men to investigate. They were Rodrigo de Jerez and Luis de Torres, a converted Jew who spoke Hebrew, Aramaic and Arabic in addition to Spanish. Columbus had brought him as an interpreter. The two men failed in their mission to find the Emperor of China, but did visit a native Taíno village. There they were the first to observe the smoking of tobacco, a habit which they promptly picked up.

Third Landfall: Hispaniola
Leaving Cuba, Columbus made landfall on the Island of Hispaniola on December 5. The natives called it Haití, but Columbus renamed it La Española, a name which was later changed to Hispaniola when Latin texts were written about the discovery. On December 25, the Santa María ran aground and had to be abandoned. Columbus himself took over as captain of the Niña, as the Pinta had become separated from the other two ships. Negotiating with the local chieftain Guacanagari, Columbus arranged to leave 39 of his men behind in a small settlement, named La Navidad.

Visitors to the Corpus Christi have a rare opportunity to relive those early days of exploration with a visit to the CC Museum of Science and History each October.

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