By Mal Butler
A replica of the Nao Victoria, an historical Spanish ship which completed the first circumnavigation of the world, is moored in Cowes until Sunday.
The original Nao Victoria was captained by Ferdinand Magellan and Juan Sebastián Elcano, and played a key role in one of the greatest maritime adventures of all time.
Their epic journey took three years and was completed between 1519–1522, departing from and returning to Seville.
The IW Observer was given a tour around the ship by volunteer Juneuth Uelchis, who, like all the current 12 staff and volunteers, lives on board.
This version has its own modern legacy, having been built in 1991, it completed its own voyage around the world between 2004-2006, sailing more than 26,000 nautical miles and making port in 17 countries. Since then, it has continued sailing across the globe, visiting over 100 ports in the United States and Europe.
The first thing which strikes you is that it’s not actually very big and when the original was operational there were 57 crew members sleeping on the deck with no shelter.
Downstairs was used for storing animals, food and weapons. There was a small bird cage as you go through the door, so the crew knew if the bird was dead from gases given off by the animals, they could not enter.
The only person with a cabin was the captain while a botanist and journalist, there to record the findings, also slept away from the crew.
Nowadays, the ship has an engine and generator but it is still steered by a long tiller.
The crew sleep on board, but all have their own bunks, with Juneuth saying: “We have two watches from 7am-10pm and work two days at a time. It’s hard but very rewarding and we’re like one big family. There is always something to do and it’s like we’re taking care of our own house. The ship has a rocking motion with the tide so it’s quite easy to fall asleep.”
The IW Observer can confirm the ship certainly rocks, and we were happy to get back on dry land!
The ship was due in Yarmouth last week, but unable to moor due to operational reasons.
Open: 10am-7pm; Tickets: Adults: £8; Children (ages 5–10): £4; Families (2 adults + up to 3 children): £2; Free for children under 5 (must be accompanied by an adult).
Isle of Wight Observer