REPLICA SHIP SURVIVES HURRICANE SALLY

A replica of the Niña, one of Christopher Columbus’s ships that discovered the new world in 1492, has been visiting Pensacola for the past several weeks. The original Niña survived a hurricane in 1495, but the replica came close to being destroyed by Hurricane Sally. The Niña is a floating museum, constructed by hand out of Brazil hardwood in 1992 and has been touring up and down the East and West Coasts of the U.S. and through the Gulf of Mexico and Great Lakes for decades. The 70-ton ship was ripped loose from its moorings and ended up in a small cove west of Maritime Park. The Niña requires 7 feet of water to float, and is presently sitting in less than a foot of water in the mud, but it survived as did the crew.