What was the name of Christopher Columbus' smallest ship?

Christopher Columbus had three ships on his first voyage, the Niña, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria. Columbus sailed from Palos de la Frontera on 3 August 1492. His flagship, the Santa Maria had 52 men aboard while his other two ships, the Nina and Pinta were each crewed by 18 men.

Niña was the smallest of the fleet, captained by Vicente Añes Pinzón, brother of Martín (captain of the Pinta). The Niña was another caravel of probably 50 or 60 tons. When she left Spain she had lateen sails on all masts, but she was refitted in the Canary Islands with square sails on the fore and main masts.

Unlike most ships of the period, Niña may have had four masts, including a small counter-mizzen at the stern with another lateen sail. This would have made Niña the best of the three ships at sailing upwind. Length about 15 meters, keel length 12 meters, beam 5 meters, and depth 2 meters.

More Info: www.christopher-columbus.eu

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54 Comments

ninakamwene

Got it. I gave myself the name Nina after her, when I landed in America in 1970. I visited University of Salamanca in Spain in 2018, where Columbus received the maps for his journey. It was an educational look back into American history. Columbus RIP.

recordpete

At least you could have used Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria as three of the choices to make us think a little bit. What the hell were those other names?

Ian Swindale

You have to admire the courage of sailors in those times in boats we wouldn't dream of sailing across some of the seas we have on earth. Having gone round Cape Horn in a moderate swell in a cruise ship I am even more in admiration of those sailors.

Marcella Kosse

If the three ships had been named rather than just one, I may have gotten it wrong. Since only one was there, it was easy.

Kathy Cahill

I got to visit a replica of this ship in Peoria on the Illinois river with the kids from our school. They had taken it up the Mississippi River and then took the Illinois River, stopping in towns all along the way. It went on to Chicago then through the Great Lakes. It was amazingly small and left me amazed that anyone would face the ocean in such a little ship. Those were some brave men!

Joanne Serin

nmcgirt, it means girl, not little.

Joanne Serin

Emm Yo, prove it.

Joanne Serin

Again, give more logical choices, like the actual names of his other ships.Most of us learned them altogether, the Nina, the Pinta, the Santa Maria.

Chrissie

Such tiny vessels to sail off into the unknown - to the edge of the world! I wonder if the families of the crew expected to see them ever again.

Jim Mascair

There was a replica of the Nina thasailed up the Mississippi to Baton Rouge. It stayed in a shipyard for a while and eventually sank around Darrow. That was the last I saw of it.

Andy the educated troglodyte

If I see one more Columbus question, I'll scream till my eyes bleed.

Bob deRoos

Process of elimination.

Emm Yo

The Pinta was the smallest

bvspurrell

I have visited and seen a replica ship, The Pinta both in Baiona, Spain near Vigo to the south and near A Guarda, Spain where the replica was built nearby. Baiona is the location where Captain Martin Pinzon of The Pinta landed in Spain after being separated from Columbus aboard The Nina who landed in Lisbon Portugal.