July 18, 2017, Tuesday
The rain and debris continue to keep us in port. This morning we had breakfast with the crew of s/v Solitude, Dale and Carol, at the local Farm House Restaurant, we have had a great time trading books, sharing information, and telling tall tales.
The big news of the day was that the replicas of Christopher Columbus’ Ships, the Niña (65 feet in length), and the Pinta (85 feet in length), stopped for the night at Ilion Marina. Wow, talk about ‘word of mouth’ although the stop was unexpected, by the end of the evening we think every family in town came by to check them out.
Starting in 1492, Columbus sailed the Niña across the Atlantic on three voyages to the new world. At over 25,000 miles, this makes our trip look like a kid’s birthday party. Built by hand from 1988-1991, the current Niña is considered the most historically accurate replica ever constructed. The ships belong to the Columbus Foundation and serve as museums to educate the public on 15th-century sailing. They are currently traveling along the Erie Canal on their way to Oswego, NY.
