Handmade Replicas of Columbus' Vessels Dock in Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
4 November 2009
By Chris Togneri
A replica of the Nina docks on the North Shore
Tuesday after sailing up the Ohio River. It and a replica of the Pinta
were built by hand without the use of power tools. - Andrew
Russell/Tribune-Review
Out of the blue
The Nina and Pinta will be in Pittsburgh until Nov. 15, and then will
head to Ohio and Kentucky before sailing to Florida for winter. Tours
of the ships cost $7 for adults, $6 for seniors and $5 for children.
Children under 4 are admitted free.
As the Nina and Pinta came into view, with a strong wind pushing them
up the Ohio River, a crowd of onlookers gathered Tuesday afternoon on
the North Shore.
Businessmen, construction workers, small children feeding geese -- they
all stopped and stared at the curious sight of two replicas of
Christopher Columbus' ships sailing under the West End Bridge and
docking.
"Very neat," said Stan Wullschleger, 53, a visitor from Tennessee who
was out for an afternoon run but stopped when he saw the ships. "They
certainly are impressive, especially with the sails down."
For the next 12 days, the ships will stay at North Shore Riverfront
Park between Heinz Field and PNC Park, where crews of six per ship will
give tours and answer questions about Columbus' voyages.
They will explain, for example, that the replicas were made entirely by
hand with no power tools in Brazil; that although Columbus had no
plumbing or electricity, these ships most certainly do; and that there
is a big difference between "line" and "rope."
"It's called 'line' when it's in use; 'rope' when it's not," explained
'Miss Ellie' Kaiser, 82, a cook who has spent the past nine years of
her retirement sailing on the Nina and Pinta.
The Nina was built in 1988; the Pinta, in 2004. There is no replica of
the third ship, the Santa Maria, which ran aground and sank in 1492.
The Nina and Pinta cruise the country's waterways and dock in cities
for tours lasting several days. The Nina, Capt. Kyle Friauf said, is
the most accurate replica of a Columbus ship ever built. It was used in
the film production of "1492." The ships and tours are run by the
Columbus Foundation Inc., based in the British Virgin Islands.
"The kids love it," Friauf said. "Of course, they all think we're
pirates, but we're not. We're explorers."
Considering the significance of its historic explorations, the Nina is
surprisingly small at only 65 feet long and less than 18 feet wide. It
weighs 72 tons, but would feel much lighter when tossed about in rough
seas, Friauf said.
Still, as Ross brothers Timothy and Benjamin McClelland, ages 8 and 6,
ran around the ships yesterday, they insisted that, like Columbus, they
could handle a trans-Atlantic voyage.
"We've been on a cruise before," Timothy said, "and we didn't ever get
seasick."
To see video of the ships and hear more about their journeys, go to
triblive.com.
Writer Chris Togneri can be reached via e-mail or at 412-380-5632.