A replica of one of history’s most famous ships , the Pinta, is currently docked at Joe Wheeler State Park and open for visitors. Now until 5 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 21, guests can enjoy a guided tour by Captain Stephen Sanger and his crew. Tours begin at 10 a.m. and take place throughout the day at the marina at Joe Wheeler Lodge.

Friday morning, students from Special Programming for Achievement Network of Alabama toured the replica ship as “First Mate Jonah” spoke to the group about Christopher Columbus’s historic voyage across the Atlantic Ocean and the specific role of the Pinta.

Sanger explained that the replica ship is actually larger than the original Pinta. He said, “This Pinta we have here is 85 feet long and 24 feet wide. The original would have been 70 feet wide and 18 feet wide. They would sleep a 26-member crew and they would all sleep on the main deck because down below, they had all the live animals including cows, horses, chickens and rabbits — fresh meat for them to eat and also to start a settlement once they got to the New World.

Normally, the Pinta would be joined by her sister ship the Nina, but the replica Nina sustained heavy damage during Hurricane Sally and is currently undergoing repairs. The replica ships were built in Brazil by Portuguese shipbuilders from the same types of ironwoods used in the original ships. Even the manner in which the crew steers the ship is authentic, with a large tiller. The wheel for steering didn’t come about until the 1700s.

Once the crew and ship set sail from Joe Wheeler, they will travel to their last port of the season in Mississippi before heading to the Gulf of Mexico to the shipyard. They have been touring since May. Sanger and his crew anticipate returning the North Alabama in two to three years.

“Saturday is supposed to be a beautiful day so hopefully we will get some people out before we head south,” he said. Tour admission is $6.50 for adults, $6 for seniors and $5.50 for students. Children 4 and younger are free. For more information, visit ninapinta.org or Nina Pinta Caravel on Facebook.