NINA
- SPANISH - 1492
The Niña (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 Niña was Santa Clara. The name Niña was
probably a pun on the name of her owner, Juan Niño.
She was a caravel-type vessel. The Niña 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
Niña's design. Often said to have had three masts,
there is some evidence she may have had four masts.
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