Amerigo Vespucci

[Debbie]

While sorting through our photo albums, I came across some pictures my husband took when the Amerigo Vespucci, a replica of a Renaissance period sailing ship, visited London back in the year mumble-mumble.

You can read more about the ship here:

http://www.newzealand.com/travel/sigh...

And here are some of the photos:

http://picasaweb.google.com/buffysqui...

They've been scanned from prints that are a little old, and so the quality isn't as high as I might like.

[Debbie]

If the link to the photos doesn't work, someone please tell me!

[Melissa]

The pictures look fine, thanks for posting!

These replicas are about all we can see of old ships here in America, apart from Old Ironsides [USS Constitution] in Boston.

I remember enjoying visiting actual ships like the Mary Rose and HMS Victory at Portsmouth and the Dutch East Indiaman at Amsterdam. Visiting made Patrick O'Brian's descriptions come that much more alive.

[Glenn]

Somehow it looks more modern thatn I expected. I was expecting something that looked like the Nina, Pinta, etc...Not too much difference (at first glance) between a 15th and 18th century sailing ship.

[Monissa, Deck Hand]

It does look quite modern from the photos.

Duyfken, on the other hand, is quite different. Shape, masts, sails, cooking, cabins, everything! I seem to recall something about the steering mechanism too, but I managed not to get any photos of it (too many people).
http://monissaw.livejournal.com/22726... :)

A few more "overall" photos at http://monissaw.livejournal.com/23569... too

There's a few "originals" around Australia, a couple of late 19th C barques & a trading ketch that I've been on.

[Debbie]

I've found another source that suggests the Vespucci is based on seventeenth century designs. Which makes more sense :).

(always check your facts! bah!)