CAMDEN, Maine (NEWS CENTER)-- Two echoes of history were opened to the public on Wednesday as the Nina and the Pinta were docked at the Camden Public Landing
They are replicas of two ships Christopher Columbus used on his voyage to America. The ships are floating museums and sail ten months out of the year to teach people about the age of discovery.
In the 1980's, the Columbus Foundation decided to have the replicas made. Each ship was built in Brazil using the same techniques used to build the orginals more than 500 hundred years ago.
"People are always astonished by how small they are. They expect to come down here and see ships much larger, but as for the 1400's, over 500 hundred years ago, so they're big for the time. We call them space shuttles of the 1400's. But yeah, the size is the biggest reaction," said the Skipper of the Nina, Stephen Sanger.
If you're wondering why the third ship, the Santa Maria, isn't a part of the exhibit, it's because that ship is too big for most ports. While the Nina and the Pinta require seven feet from waterline to keel, the Santa Maria would require 14 feet.
The Nina and the Pinta are open for exploring every day between 9am and 6pm. The ships will be docked at the Camden Public Landing until June 30th. Tickets are $8 for adults, $7 for seniors 60 years and older, $6 for children ages 5-16, and children 4 and under are free.
For further information, go to http://www.thenina.com/schedule.html