Columbus’ Voyage to the New World

Christopher Columbus was an Italian navigator from Genoa, Italy. He planned his voyages with his two brothers, Diego, who helped rule Hispaniola (now Haiti and the Dominican Republic), and Bartholomew.

He was convinced he could sail west and reach the Indies (which in Columbus' time included China, Japan, and India) in a few weeks. He sought support unsuccessfully from England and Portugal, but was finally successful in being sponsored by Spain. The path he thought he took Columbus’ Trip

In 1485 Columbus took his son Diego and went to Spain, where he spent almost seven years trying to get support from Isabella I of Castile. He was received at court, given a small annuity, and quickly gained both friends and enemies.

What the Sailors Ate The menu consisted of the following: Water, Vinegar, Cheese, Lentils, Beans, Olive oil, Honey, Raisins Fish, Dried or Pickled Meat, Olives, Hardtack (dried sea biscuits),

Foods were served in a large communal wooden bowl. It consisted of poorly cooked meat with bones in it, the sailors attacking it with fervor, picking it with their fingers as they had no forks or spoons. The larger pieces of meat were cut with the knife each sailor carried.

The map of the islands that Columbus discovered

The landing was met by Arawak, a friendly local population that Columbus called Indians. The Indians seemed friendly; so 39 men were left on the island at the settlement of Navidad while Columbus returned to Spain on the Nina. Columbus claimed to have reached islands just off the coast of Asia and brought with him artifacts, Indians, and some gold.

Land Ho! Early in the morning of October 12, a lookout, Juan Rodriguez Bermejo from Tirana, shouted: "Tierra, tierra!", a cry that would resound around the world. At the time it must have irritated Columbus for it meant that he had lost the 10,000 maravedis (a Moorish coin used in Spain) which the queen had promised the first man to sight land.

Columbus’ Fleet

Caravels were also used as cargo carriers, warships, patrol boats, and even corsairs (pirate ships). Their advantages were speed, a shallow draught, and maneuverability, plus the fact that they were good sailing ships.

The Santa Maria The Santa Maria, the flagship, was the largest of the three ships. It weighed between 100 and 120 tons and to be feet long. The Santa Maria carried 40 of the three ships' total crew of 90 men. The ships were lightly armed and carried the usual cargo for trading: cloth, knives, glass beads, and trinkets.

The Santa Maria The Santa Maria could hold a little more than 100 tuns (large barrels that literally weighed a ton when full). We know the original ship had five sails, a forecastle (later called a Fo'c'sle), a sterncastle, a main top (later called a crowsnest), and a cabin.

Santa Maria had the nickname La Gallega. It was a nao, which simply means "ship" in old Spanish; today, we might call such a ship a carrack. She was fat and slow, designed for hauling cargo, not for exploration. Some sources say that the Santa Maria was about 100 tons, meaning that it could carry 100 tone Ladas, which were large casks of wine. The length of Santa Maria at 18 meters, keel length at 12 meters, beam 6 meters, and a depth of 3 meters from keel to deck.

The Pinta Pinta was a caravel, a smaller, lighter, and faster ship than the tubby Santa Maria. The length of Pinta at 17 meters, keel length 13 meters, beam 5 meters, and depth 2 meters. She probably had three masts, and most likely carried sails like those of Santa Maria, except for the topsail, and perhaps the spritsail.

The Niña The Niña made the entire First Voyage, bringing Columbus safely home. She was the only vessel in West Indian waters to survive the hurricane of 1495, and then brought back the Columbus and 120 passengers to Spain in This would have made Niña the best of the three ships at sailing upwind.

Let’s Take a Look inside!

The watch was kept from the deck of the Forecastle. The foresail and spritsail were worked from here, also. The Foresail

The cooking was done in a small iron firebox on the deck beneath the forecastle. The ship's boys cooked one hot meal a day for the crew of 40. The ship's youngest boy also had to clean the bathroom pots. The Forecastle

Looking down on the ship, you can see the quarterdeck and the cabin.

The hold would have been much darker than shown here. It would have been full of cargo and ballast. It would also have rats and bilge water. It was against Spanish maritime policy for sailors to sleep in the hold. The Hold

The area beneath the quarterdeck was known as steerage. The ship was steered from here with a tiller - the ship's wheel would not be invented for another 200 years. The helmsman could not see where the ship was going. He steered by the compass. The crew lived in steerage. The Steerage

The Results Significant numbers of Europeans settled in the New World, primarily in the West Indies.

Resources Pickering, Keith. Columbus' Voyage /30/ "The Nina." The Columbus Foundation. 9/30/ Holiday facts about Columbus Day /11/2003.