Why Does That Ship In Bucksport Look Like It Came From 1492?

Did you happen to see something kind of out of place as you crossed the Penobscot Narrows Bridge?  Or, maybe you saw it in Bucksport.  Where did that strange looking sailing ship come from?

According to a post on the Ellsworth American Facebook page, it is the Nao Santa Maria, a replica of one of the ships that Christopher Columbus used on his first trip to the New World.

Of the three ships that comprised Columbus's fleet, the Nina, The Pinta, and the Santa Maria, the Santa Maria was the largest.

According to Wikipedia, she was 62 feet long, 18 feet wide, and weighed 150 tons.  Yes, small compared to today's ships, but massive for the late 15th century.  The original Santa Maria ran aground in Haiti on Christmas Day in 1492.  The vessel was partially dismantled and the wood was used to construct a fort on the island.

If you want to see the vessel, it will be docked in Bucksport through this week.  It will then move up the river to Bangor, where it will stay from July 15th through July 17th.

The visit is part of The 4 Port Loop - a celebration of Maine's bicentennial.  The event, which runs through July 24th, features ships visits and other events centered on the 14 riverfront towns of the lower Penobscot River Basin.  In addition to the Santa Maria visit, there will be a visit from the MMA Schooner Bowdoin, you'll have a chance to see the University of Maine's 3D printed boat the 3Dirigo, the American Cruise Line's Constitution will visit, as will the US Coast Guard Cutter Abbie Burgess.

If think we can all agree that it is great that we are seeing the return of festivals, concerts, and events.  If there is an event we need to know about, send us a message through our app or on Facebook.