The idea of going to Corpus Cristy, was to visit the museum, where two of the three replicas of Columbus's ships (Santa Maria and Pinta) were stored and maintained. The third one (Nina)was on water, in the city's marina, as can be seen in the pictures. The three ships, commemorating the 500th anniversary of Christopher Columbus' voyages to the New World took 5 years to built at the cost of $6.5 million. The three ships toured the Mediterranean and Atlantic ports in Europe in 1990 and 1991. After successful tour of 18 American ports, they have arrived in their home port in Corpus Christy in 1993. The ships were built by Spain, using the same tools and materials as in the 15th century. The pine and oak are from the same forests of Galicia and the Pyrenees, while the nails were forged by hand. The two ships, Pinta and Nina are caravels. Small but fast and maneuverable. The Santa Maria is a nao, meaning cargo vesel, heavier and wider than a caravel.
For information on Christopher Columbus, his ships and travels, please visit this address: [ http://www1.minn.net/~keithp/
There was a competition between several museums around the Carribean basin to host the ship replicas. Corpus Cristy won because it has a (relatively) decent infracture allowing wider access to the museum (a requirement laid by Spain). And Spain loaned the ship replicas to the Corpus Cristy museum, with the understanding that the ships will be properly maintained.
Corpus cristy museum, turned out, had neither the organizational skills to host the ships nor the money to maintain them. Two of them were damaged by some wayward boater - and are now dry-docked; the museum has no money to restore them to floating condition. The only ship afloat is chartered for brief cruises, in an attempt to make it "pay for itself". Corpus Cristy museum cannot afford to even keep the ships painted!
When the loan contract expires, and the ships must be returned to Spain... What a Texan-size embarrassment they will be!