Full-Size Replica El Galeón Visits New Bedford This Weekend

New Bedford, Massachusetts- This week, for the first time, the “El Galeón,” a massive wooden full-scale, authentic replica of a 17^th century Spanish galleon will visit the Port of New Bedford.  The ship will be open to the public starting Friday, May 20th from 10:00AM to 7:00PM daily until Sunday, May 22nd.

The ship’s visit to New Bedford is part of the El Galeón’s 2016 United States Tour which began in Tampa, Florida in February and will end this summer with a sail around the Great Lakes.

The Galeón is a replica of the type of vessel used by the Spanish Crown for maritime expeditions from the 16^th to 18^th century.  Galleons were intended to discover and then establish trade routes between Spain, America and the Philippines, and formed the then called ‘Fleet of the Indies.”

According to the Nao Victoria Foundation, the non-profit organization which owns the vessel, El Galeón is a 500 ton vessel, with over-all length reaching 160 ft. and beam 32 ft. Four masts hold 6 sails which measure almost 11,000 square feet. Its average speed is 7 knots.

Visitors may tour around the decks, where they will find information panels, historical documents, videos, interactive tablets and meet the crew. The ship is commanded by Captain Rosario Fernandez Rodrigues and maneuvered by 18 crew members.