A slightly younger aspect of history was present in Whitehaven this week.

America was discovered by the west in approximately the late 1490's, some two hundred years after Keswick's Charter was awarded.

The Italian adventurer Amerigo Vespucci is credited with discovering the continent, but the ship in town for the week was a modern copy of Columbus's original Spanish boat, the Santa Maria,

that undertook the first ever Atlantic voyage and in 1492, discovered the Caribbean islands on the far side of the unknown ocean.

Welcome to the Nao Santa Maria.

- - - o o o - - -

The boat was moored up in Whitheaven Harbour, on the jetty beyond the one with the white 'wave' sculpture along its length.

This is a sunny promotional picture from the Harbour sign at the exit from the car park.

In practice today's weather was more like this . . . grey and damp . . . though it wasn't actually raining !

I walked down the Sunday afternoon pier, looking across to the Beacon Museum and the modern boats in the harbour moorings.

What I had travelled across to see was this beauty . . . the Nao (new) Santa Maria, a modern replica of Columbus's original boat.

The boy with the telescope looks to the west, but next to him was a chap that looked like a crew member.

On asking if a photo was in order, I was greeted cheerfully in a strong Spanish accent.

A Pirate of the Caribbean . . . with a modern thermos flask !

The deck and gunwales were full of thick rope and canvas sails . . . it was a true modern replica and quite capable of doing the Atlantic voyage again.

The decks were however quite sloping so it would be quite a challenge to keep your feet when sailing in a heavy sea.

Below the rear deck looking sternward.

Here was the steerage deck with the long tiller bar attached to the rudder, extending out of the stern of the ship.

Interestingly there was no "Ship's Wheel" on this boat as the vertical pole here pivoted through the roof and became the vertical steering post on the deck above.

There was limited access to the hold, where supplies and traded goods would have been stored.

Today this is a display area, with numerous plaques from their various ports of call that the ship has visited. The two upright metal posts are presumably replica cannons.

Columbus's '1492' crew of 40 to 50 men would have had to sleep on deck or where they could find room in the hold, so no luxury for them.