Spanish galleon replica The Galeon Andalucia is coming to Ramsgate this July.
It follows a successful visit to the town in May last year.
The vessels were used during the 16th through to the 18th centuries to discover and establish trade routes between Spain, America and the Philippines islands, forming the then called Fleet of the Indies.
With an innovative design at the time, galleons were armed merchant vessels which tonnages ranging from 500 to 1,200 and lengths-over-all ranging from 130 to 200 feet. They were designed to cross the largest oceans as efficiently as possible.
For three centuries, Spanish galleons crossed the Atlantic Ocean back and forth, sailed around the Caribbean Sea and the American coasts and covered the Pacific route as well. They carried seamen, merchant traders and settlers, while their holds bore the loads resulting from American and Asian trade.
For the Galeon Andalucia it took three years to research the main historical and maritime archives in Spain and compile all necessary information about shapes, details and measurements so the replica could be built.
Historical research was then followed by structural design, taking 6 months, and then construction, which lasted 17 months and employed 150 people until her launching in Punta Umbría (Huelva, Spain) in November 2009.
The replica has been designed and built by Ignacio Fernandez Vial, a naval engineer and historian, commissioned by ship owner, the Nao Victoria Foundation.
During construction, a completely original and innovative technique was used: the hull and decks were built up in layers of fiberglass and after that the whole structure was lined with wood. It was the first time this method was applied to any ship heavier than 500 tons meant for oceanic sailing.
Andalucia is a 500 ton galleon, with length overall reaching 160 ft and beam 32 ft. Four masts hold six sails which measure almost 11,000 square foot. Average speed is 7 knots. Since her launching, a crew of between 15 to 35 people has manned her across the seas and oceans around the world.
She has navigated the Pacific and Indian oceans, crossed the Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea, the Red Sea, the South and East China seas, the Aegean Sea, the Bosphorus strait and the Caribbean Sea, covering thousands of nautical miles in an attempt to evoke her ancestors.
Andalucia will be in Ramsgate harbour from July 25-28 and open to the public from 10am to 8pm,
The floating museum can be explored over five decks.
Tickets: adults: £12 / child (5- 10 years): £6 Family £30 (2 adults + up to 3 children between 5- 10 years). Free for children under 5 years old, who must be accompanied by an adult.
Guided Visit Schools and Associations: £6 (1 free teacher for every 10 children) Over 10 years old £12. Arrange through: [email protected]
Points of sale: on the ship or on the website: tickets.velacuadra.es
There is also an opportunity to book for the galleon’s sailing from Ramsgate to Poole, leaving on July 28 at 8pm, price € 350.00, four spaces remaining.
Find details at: https://tallshipexperience.com/travesias/el-galeon/11446-ramsgate-uk-poole-uk/
