The Historic Voyage Of Columbus' Ships: Nina, Pinta, And Santa Maria

On August 3, 1492, Italian explorer Christopher Columbus set sail from the port of Palos in southern Spain on three vessels: the Niña, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria. Columbus and his crew of 86-90 Spanish sailors sailed westward, searching for a passage to China and India. However, contrary to popular belief, Columbus never reached the North American continent during any of his four voyages. Instead, his ships touched on various islands, including the Bahamas, Cuba, and Hispaniola (the Dominican Republic and Haiti). While the exact measurements of the three ships have not survived, estimates suggest that the Niña and Pinta were tiny by today's standards, measuring only 50 to 70 feet from bow to stern, while the Santa Maria was larger and heavier. Now, let's delve into the story behind the names of these ships and uncover the fascinating history behind their nomenclature.

The Santa Maria was the largest of the three ships

The Santa Maria was slower than the other two ships but performed well during the Atlantic crossing. On the return trip, however, it ran aground on a sandbank off the coast of present-day Haiti and sank. The ship was beyond repair, so Columbus ordered his men to strip the timbers and use them to build a fort, which he named La Navidad (Christmas) as the wreck occurred on Christmas Day.

The Niña and the Pinta were smaller caravel-type ships. The Niña, also known as La Santa Clara or Santa Clara, was Columbus's favourite. It was a lightweight and highly manoeuvrable ship, prized for its speed. The Pinta, whose original name is unknown, was also a nimble vessel. Both ships were tiny by today's standards, only 50 to 70 feet (15 to 21 metres) from bow to stern.

All three ships were second-hand and modest-sized merchant vessels. They were not originally intended for exploration, but their performance and versatility contributed to the success of Columbus's perilous voyage.

The Niña and Pinta were nicknamed

The Niña and Pinta were likely nicknames given to Christopher Columbus's ships. In Columbus's time, it was customary in Spain to name ships after saints and refer to them by their nicknames. La Niña was probably a nickname for a ship called Santa Clara, derived from the name of the ship's owner, Juan Niño. The actual name of La Pinta is unknown, but it was nicknamed La Pintada ("the painted one", or "the prostitute"). Santa Maria, the third ship, was also nicknamed La Gallega ("The Galician").

La Niña and La Pinta were tiny by today's standards, measuring only 50 to 70 feet from bow to stern. However, they were highly valued for their speed and manoeuvrability. These ships were a type of caravel, a sleek and lightweight vessel with a versatile rigging system that allowed them to sail into the wind. The caravel's rudder was positioned at the rear centre of the ship, providing greater control compared to older designs.

The small size of La Niña and La Pinta had its drawbacks. Life on board these ships was extremely cramped and uncomfortable. In contrast to the Santa Maria, which had small cabins, La Niña and La Pinta had only one cramped cabin for the captain at the rear of the ship. Sailors had to sleep on the deck, trying to stay out of the way of their constantly working crewmates.

The three ships carried a full year's worth of food, as Columbus did not know how long the journey would take. The food was dried and salted to last at sea, including items like anchovies, cod, beef, pork, chickpeas, lentils, beans, and hardtack biscuits. However, these conditions often led to wormy meals, as described by Ferdinand Columbus, the explorer's 14-year-old son, during their fourth voyage.

The Santa Maria was a medium-sized carrack

Carracks were usually three-masted, with a mix of square and lateen (triangular) sails, although some larger carracks had a fourth mast. They were deep and broad, with a high sterncastle and an even higher forecastle that thrust out over the bow. The Santa Maria was no exception, with three small masts and a bowsprit, which collectively carried five sails.

The carrack was a short and not particularly fast vessel. The Santa Maria was the slowest of Columbus' three ships, but it performed well in the Atlantic Ocean crossing. The stability of carracks in heavy seas and their capacity to carry hundreds of tons of cargo made them the vessel of choice for colonial powers during the Age of Exploration. They were the premier merchant ships of the Mediterranean powers and, along with smaller caravels, made possible the great voyages of European exploration in the 15th and 16th centuries.

The Santa Maria was the flagship of Christopher Columbus' fleet when he set sail for the New World in 1492. The ship was the largest of the three vessels, with a crew of around 40 men, double that of the two smaller caravel-type ships, the Niña and the Pinta. Columbus ultimately landed on an island in the Bahamas, believing he had reached Asia. On the return journey, the Santa Maria ran aground off the coast of present-day Haiti and sank.

The Niña and Pinta were smaller caravel-type ships

Christopher Columbus set sail from the port of Palos in southern Spain on the 3rd of August, 1492, with a crew of 86 to 90 men. He had three ships in his fleet: the Niña, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria. The latter was the largest of the three ships and was a medium-sized carrack, with a deck roughly about 58 to 62 feet long. She had a single deck, three small masts, and weighed about 100 tons as a cargo ship.

The Niña and Pinta, on the other hand, were smaller caravel-type ships. The Niña, also known as La Niña ("The Girl"), was originally christened the Santa Clara and sailed for at least 46 years. The Pinta ("The Painted One") was likely a nickname as well, though its original name remains unknown. These two ships were tiny by today's standards, measuring only 50 to 70 feet from bow to stern. However, they were highly valued for their speed and manoeuvrability.

The caravel design was cutting-edge in the 15th century, prized for their sleek, lightweight hulls and their ability to sail into the wind. The rigging options and rear-centre rudders of these ships provided them with greater control and manoeuvrability. The smaller size of the Niña and Pinta allowed them to navigate the shallow island coastlines near modern-day Cuba, which proved advantageous during Columbus's voyage.

Despite their advantages, the compact size of these caravels also presented challenges. Life aboard was extremely cramped and uncomfortable, with limited private space. The crew members worked relentlessly, constantly adjusting the rigging, trimming the sails, and inspecting for leaks. Food storage was also inadequate, leading to meals infested with worms.

The Santa Maria was the slowest of the three ships

Christopher Columbus set sail on his first voyage across the Atlantic Ocean in 1492 with a crew of 86 to 90 men on three ships: the Niña, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria. The Santa Maria, the largest of the three ships, was a medium-sized commercial nau or carrack, about 62 ft (18.9 m) long on deck, with a single deck and three small masts. It was built in Pontevedra, Galicia, and owned and mastered by Juan de la Cosa.

On the return trip, on December 24, 1492, a series of unfortunate events led to the Santa Maria's demise. Columbus, who had not slept for two days, decided to lie down, and the steersman also fell asleep, leaving only a cabin boy to steer the ship, which was against the admiral's strict orders. The currents carried the ship onto a sandbank, running it aground off the present-day site of Cap-Haïtien, Haiti. The ship sank the next day.

Realizing that the ship was beyond repair, Columbus ordered his men to strip the timbers, which were later used to build a fort called La Navidad (Christmas) because the wreck occurred on Christmas Day. The anchors of the Santa Maria can now be found in the Musée du Panthéon National Haïtien (MUPANAH) in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

Frequently asked questions