Mantua Sergal 1/50 756 Nina Christopher Columbus's Caravel
Mantua/Sergal 1/50 Nina Christopher Columbus's Caravel 756
The Nima (the Spanish word for "little girl") was one of the three ships used by Christopher Columbus in his first voyage towards the Indies in 1492. The real name of the Nina was Santa Clara. The name Nina was probably a pun on the name of her owner, Juan Nino. She was a caravel-type vessel. The other ships of the Columbus expedition were the caravel Pinta and the Carrack-type Santa Maria. The Nina was by far Columbus' favorite. She was originally lateen sail rigged caravela latina, but she was re-rigged as caravela redonda at Azores with square sails for better ocean performance. There is no authentic documentation on the specifics of the Nina's design. Often said to have had three masts, there is some evidence she may have had four masts.
The kit includes laser cut frames for keel & bulkheads, and exotic wood strip for hull planking. Also included is the wooden deck planking, masts and spars, lost wax castings, and wooden fittings, etched brass detailing, cloth for the sails and flags. The instruction booklet is very detailed, taking you through every step of construction.
Scale 1:50, Length: 400mm.
Skill Level 3
On Columbus' first expedition, the Nina carried 24 men, captained by Vicente Yanez Pinzon. They left Palos de la Frontera on August 3, 1492, stopping at the Canary Islands on August 12, 1492, and continued westward. Landfall was made in the Bahamas at dawn on October 12, 1492. After running the Santa Maria aground, Columbus returned on the Nina in early 1493, arriving in Palos de la Frontera on March 15. On the first voyage to America the crew of the Nina slept on the deck, but adopted the use of hammocks after seeing Native Americans sleeping in hammocks. The Nina joined a grand fleet of 17 ships for the second voyage to Hispaniola, becoming the flagship for an exploration of Cuba. She was the only ship to survive the 1495 hurricane, returning quickly to Spain in 1496. The Nina was then chartered for an unauthorized voyage to Rome. She was captured by a pirate corsair when leaving the port of Cagliari and brought to Cape Pula, Sardinia. The Captain, Alonso Medel, escaped with a few men. He stole a boat, rowed back to Nina, and made sail, returning to Cadiz. In 1498 she returned to Hispaniola as advance guard of Columbus' Third Voyage. She was lying in wait at Santo Domingo in 1500. In 1501 she made a trading voyage to the Pearl Coast and there is no further log of her. The Nina logged at least 25,000 nautical miles (46,000 km) under Columbus' command.