The BoneBlog

Yesterday we drove to Grafton, where replicas of the Niña and Pinta were docked. We thought it would be a good opportunity for the kids to see the conditions under which Columbus and his crew sailed. We wanted to see it, too.

Boy, was it an eye-opener. The ships were TINY. “65 feet long” seems long until you’re standing in it; then it feels awfully risky.

Both ships had several interpretive signs that told us, among other things, that Columbus’ captain’s quarters were tiny and that there was so much cargo in the hold that the crew slept, ate, and lived on the deck.

It was a fun adventure on a gloomy day, even though the ships were crowded. And of course, the Great River Road is always a treat.

We felt exactly the same way when we toured the replica ships at Jamestown that the settlers used. I wouldn't have wanted to traverse the James River in them, much less the Atlantic Ocean. No wonder there are so many shipwrecks with sunken treasure, etc.