St Katharine Docks Marina to welcome replica ‘Spice’ ship, the Nao Victoria
This July, IGY Destination, St Katharine Docks Marina is excited to reveal that it will be welcoming another incredible replica ship. The Nao Victoria is a 26-metre ship associated with the greatest adventure in the history of navigation.
The original 16th century Victoria was part of fleet of five Spanish naos or ships, that departed on the 10th of August 1519, manned by 245 men, set sail from the port of Seville. Known as the Spice Army, or the Armada de Especería, commanded by Hernando de Magallanes and financed by the Spanish crown, the fleet opened a new Westbound route that reached the Spice Islands, the Moluccas (in present-day Indonesia). Over three years, the expedition saw the Victoria crossing three oceans, reaching Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina to finally discover the Strait of Magellan. Finally on September 8th, 1522, the 18 men arrived back in Seville, achieving the greatest feat in early navigation: the First Circumnavigation Around the World.
The full-size authentic replica was launched in Spain in 1992, and it has since followed in its namesakes’ footsteps, circumnavigating the globe. From 2004 to 2006 it sailed 26,894 nautical miles, visited 17 countries on 5 different continents. Part of a three-ship fleet from the Nao Foundation, a body that specialises in re-creating such vessels to research, promote and develop greater awareness of their heritage and contribution to maritime history.
Berthing in the picturesque historic St Katharine Docks centre basin for two weeks, the 86ft museum ship will be arriving weather permitting on June 29th and opening to the public from June 30th to July 12th, before departing on July 13th. Tickets are available online now via The Nao Victoria Foundation website, and there is a discount for bookings made before June 29th.
This is the third replica ship to be welcomed at St Katharine Docks, and it is sure to captivate visitors of all ages. Marina Manager, Tom Lord commented “We are very pleased to welcome the Nao Victoria Foundation back to St Katharine Docks this July, with the historic Victoria. This marks the third year that we've had the pleasure of working with the foundation to host their iconic ships in Central London, providing a fantastic opportunity for the local community to come and visit a true piece of maritime history”.