Replica Christopher Columbus ship wows in Douglas
BBCA replica of Christopher Columbus's flagship, the Santa María, has sailed into Douglas harbour, attracting attention from residents and visitors along the quay.
The replica was built in 2018 over an 18-month period and has been travelling around Britain and Ireland.
It is expected to remain in Douglas until 6 September, opening to the public as a floating museum.
Crew member Diego Ibarroldo said, a crew member from Asturias in northern Spain, said it gave people a glimpse of life aboard the ship Columbus sailed in 1492.
The 180 tonne Nao Santa Maria was also berthed at the Royal Albert Dock in Liverpool last.
Ibarroldo said the original ship was hugely significant and "opened the minds" of people at the time, not only through discovering America, but showing them for the first time the earth was not flat.
It also opened the world to "more people, different cultures", he added.
The original Santa María left the Spanish port of Palos de la Frontera on 3 August 1492, alongside the Pinta and Niña, with Columbus aboard.
It was the largest of the three vessels and served as the expedition's flagship.
The voyage became one of the most significant episodes in world history, bringing Europeans into contact with the Americas and fundamentally changing the course of history.
But the arrival of Europeans led to the spread of diseases which wiped out most of the native population, and also allowed Europeans to establish colonies, which in turn brought about the transatlantic slave trade.
The Santa María was a larger, deeper-drafted vessel than the two caravels and had four masts carrying a combination of square and lateen sails.
The replica has about 300 square metres of sail and more than 3km (1.8 miles) of rope in its rigging.
Ibarroldo said there were about 40 crew members originally, compared with 15 on the replica, the majority of whom were volunteers.
The museum is operated by the Nao Victoria Foundation, a Spanish organisation promoting maritime history through the operation of several historical tall ships.
Unlike the sailors of the 15th Century, the modern crew has a small sleeping area, a kitchen and two engines to help manoeuvre in and out of port.
The arrival stands out for people on Douglas's quayside.
Douglas resident Sharon Miller said she had been drawn to the harbour to see the ship.
As a keen amateur photographer, she said: "It looks amazing. I came over straight away."
Another Douglas resident, John Bainbridge, said he had watched the ship arrive.
"I think it's awesome, the fact that it's in our marina here is just incredible," he said.
He described the vessel as "a beautiful ship" and hoped it would return.
Visitors from Crewe, Dave and Jan, were also surprised to encounter the replica.
"It's lovely, I'm surprised to see it here," they said.
Dave said he took to Facebook to tell people "the Spanish have landed".
Alice Morgan and Rob O'Connor, who moved to the island from London earlier this year, said it immediately reminded them of a favourite film.
"The first thing I thought of was the film Hook," Rob said, adding: "I love that film so much and it's reminding me of it straight away."
They said it was great to see and hoped to climb aboard while it was here.
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