The ship of Columbus, built in 1482, was originally called "María Galante", but because this was also a synonym for prostitute, it was wisely decided to change the name. The Santa María had a bow length of 19 meters and a maximum length of 23 to 24 meters, a width of 7 to 8 meters, a draft of 4.5 meters, a weight of 102 tonnes and a large mast of 23 meters. It probably had 3 sails and 1 latin sail, many claim it was a caravel, but in fact it was a precursor to the squat. In the small front castle there were probably a number of sleeping places for the crew of more than 40 men and ship boys. However, not all crew members had a place to sleep and many slept in the open air. The ship was originally built by the residents of the port city of Palos de la Frontera as a fine for an earlier offense. Columbus regularly complained that the people of Palos had not done their job well. After the Santa María had perished for Hispaniola, the settlement La Navidad was founded with the wreckage. The Santa Maria sailed in a small fleet with two caravels, the "Niña" and the "Pinta", both with a length of 15 m. They left from Spain crossing the ocean, with three latin sails but for practical reasons and especially due to the mostly backward wind they became fitted with a sailcloth on the Canary Islands. Christopher Columbus (1451-1509) made his name through his 'discovery' of America under the Spanish flag in 1492. He thought he had reached India after crossing the Atlantic. Based on his practical experiences at sea and, wrong, geographical assumptions, he argued that this would be a short crossing, but in reality he had come across a New World. His discovery is a turning point in world history, the meaning of which can hardly be overestimated. European powers colonized the two American continents. Until his death, Columbus was convinced that he had reached India. Image size: 260 x 360 mm