Video: Replica of 17th century Spanish boat docks in Norfolk
Image courtesy of Galeon Andalucia/Nao Victoria Foundation
A replica Spanish tall ship has attracted crowds after docking in a British seaside town as part of a European tour.
Hundreds of people turned out to see Galeón Andalucía arrive in Great Yarmouth, in the English county of Norfolk, on Tuesday evening (29 May 2024). The vessel was delayed due to poor weather.
The boat, built by the Nao Victoria Foundation and launched in 2009, has sailed 80,500 miles (129,552km) worldwide to date.
“She is a truly incredible ship, and we can’t wait for her arrival,” said Ruth Cockrill, the marketing events officer at Great Yarmouth Borough Council, before the ship sailed in. “It promises to be a stunning spectacle for people to enjoy on South Quay.”
The vessel fired two shots from its canon as it arrived into Great Yarmouth. The boat features more than 9687 sq ft (900 sq metres) of sail and is 162 ft (49m) long and has a beam of 33 ft (10m).
The six-deck vessel has a display of the history how the Spanish tall ships connected continents across the world.
Barry Parsons, 67, a professional photographer from Norwich, told the BBC he had waited about four hours to see the vessel and confirmed it was “worth the wait”.
He compared the ship to the Black Pearl from the film Pirates of the Caribbean.
The public can visit the boat in Great Yarmouth until 9 June 2024. The Galeón Andalucía, which is on a Europe-wide tour, will also visit Italy, the Netherlands and Germany.
