Santa Maria

The Santa Maria, full name: La Santa Maria de la Inmaculada Concepcion, which roughly translates into: The Holy Mary of the Immaculate Conception, was the largest of all three ships that were used by Christopher Columbus when he took his first voyage across the Atlantic ocean in 1942, the master and owner of the ship was Juan de la Cosa.

Built in Pontevedra, Galicia, in the North-West of Spain, the ship is theorised to have been a medium-sized carrack, being approximately 18 meters long, with historian Juan Escalante de Mendoza stating in 1575 that the ship weight approximately 100 tons. The other ships that Columbus bought with on his expidetion were smaller caravel-type ships. The voyage was not particularly well funded and all of the ships were at least second-hand, with some speculation by historians that they may even have been third-hand. The ships were not designed properly for exploration and were designed as modestly sized merchant vessels. Unfortunately the exact dimensions of the ships have been lost to time, but some anecdotal accounts from the voyage do remain. Historians have put those accounts together with ship wrecks from the same time period in order to obtain rough dimensions for the ships.

The Santa Maria had three masts, making it the slowest of the three ships during Columbus’ expedition, but this helped it fare well on the Atlantic ocean. The initial crossing went well, but the return crossing was when disaster struck. Columbus had decided to sleep, as he had not done so in at least two days, leaving his steersman in charge of the ship. Given that the night’s weather happened to be particularly calm, the steersman decided to allow a cabin boy to steer the ship, a practice that Columbus would never have allowed had he been awake. The cabin boy’s lack of experience at the helm, the ship ultimately was carried onto a sandbank and ran aground on a site near Haiti. The ship proved to be unrepairable and sank the next day, with Columbus ordering the ship stripped of timber in order for a fort to be built. The exact wreckage for the ship has never been fround, although a number of dive teams have attempted to do so. The closest that any team has come so far was on the 13th of May in 2014, when underwater archaeological explorer Barry Clifford claimed that his team had found the original wreck of the Santa Maria. The claim was studied in great detail by UNCESCO, but in the following October, UNESCO published a report stating that the ship cannot have belonged to Columbus. This was due to fastenings that had been used in the hull of that particular ship which dated back to the 17th or 18th century.

Boats For Fun and Boat trips

What Are the Different Types of Boats?

A boat is smaller than a ship, and refers to a smaller watercraft which has been constructed to allow the crew to navigate in inland waterways and near-shore areas including lakes and rivers. Historical records show that boats have been used to transport passengers since the pre-historic period. From dugouts (the oldest recorded type of boat), over a long period of time, the watercraft’s evolution has brought us today’s indulgent motor yachts.

Different Types of Boats

Generally speaking, boats can be classed under three main sections:

  • 1. Motorboats (which are powered by engines).
  • 2. Man-powered/unpowered boats such as kayaks, gondolas and rafts, gondolas, kayaks
  • 3. Sailboats (which are propelled by sails).

Below are details on some of the most popular ones. Naturally, whatever type of boat you use, safety should be your number one priority. To that end, it is essential to always have your mobile phone with you with the https://www.livi.co.uk app on, as can link you up to medical help], and you can get advice immediately. Better safe than sorry, is always a good motto to abide by!

Dinghy Boats

These refer to small inflatable boats, which are normally fabricated with rubber, and comprise rowlocks and cross thwarts which serve as oars and and seats, respectively. Dinghies which are usually powered by small outboard engines, oars and sails, are generally referred to as row boats, sailboats, or just inflatables. Such row boats make excellent companion boats for people on camping expeditions, and for those who enjoy fishing in water that is on the shallow side.

Deck Boats

This popular boat design which is normally 25 to 35 ft in length, is used for water sports, swimming and other recreational activities. It boasts an open deck area which offers a small group of users a lot of seating arrangements. The vessel comprises a wide beam V- shaped hull, and this means that it can fit more passengers onboard than a pontoon. This model of boat also features a stern power drive.

Cuddy Cabins Boats

This family-friendly style of boat, which is generally fabricated from aluminium and fibreglass, is like other boats which are fantastic for water sports, sailing, yachting and fishing. It comprises a closed deck over its bow, which provides easy navigation for the crew, as well as convenient storage space. The cuddy length starts at approximately 4.75 meters.

Cabin Cruiser Boats

This style of boat which is perfect for relaxed sailing, offers every essential modern comfort feature that you would expect to find in your own home, so that is a major plus. They are built with a berth and galley, and come with power generators, air conditioners and heaters. Moreover, as well as the hugely practical deep-V bottom, they also feature rudder steering, and a secured shaft drive mechanism. To that end, they are ideal for sailing on salty water.