If you happened to be in Greenport Monday evening you may have caught sight of what looked to be a 17th-century galleon entering the harbor and tying up at the dock in Mitchell Park.
You would have been correct, although the massive 495-ton ship is actually a replica. A floating museum, the 170-foot El Galeón was built in 2009-2010 and has been sailing the globe ever since, visiting ports across the world and teaching people about the long and colorful history of galleons, ships that worked the trade and cultural routes for three centuries.
On a windy afternoon this week, visitors made their way around the ship on self-guided tours, speaking with crew members and marveling at the precision with which the replica was built.
One crew member, Maria Pascual Caballero, was happily answering questions and pointing out interesting details when she ran into Ed and Sandy Graham from Southold. It turned out that Sandy Graham had visited Seville, Spain in the 1970s and when she found out the El Galeón was based in Seville, she couldn’t wait to visit the ship in Greenport.
Fluent in Spanish, Graham quickly struck up a lively conversation with Pascual Caballero, resulting in an instant friendship. The Grahams arranged to pick up Maria and her twin sister — also a volunteer — on Friday and take them on a tour of the North Fork.
“When I was on a five-hour layover in Madrid years ago, a taxi driver offered to show me around the city,” explains Graham. “He drove me all over, showing me the most wonderful sights. I never forgot that and I’m happy to show the girls around the North Fork.”
Pascual Caballero, a 22-year-old volunteer aboard El Galeón, was thrilled at the opportunity to see some of the North Fork after spending long hours working aboard the ship for the past week.
New to the crew, Pascual Caballero studied in Spain to be a merchant marine and will spend the next six months aboard El Galeón practicing her craft. A normal day at sea involves cleaning the decks, pulling ropes and lines, and when the weather is good, raising the sails.
“We help the captain — she’s a woman you know — Captain Rosario Fernandez Rodriguez. We take a look on the radar, learn how to use the electronic equipment. Sometimes the crew will even fish off the deck when work is done,” says Pascual Caballero.
If you’re interested in touring El Galeón, she will be docked in Greenport daily until Sunday, Oct. 23 from 10 – 6:30 p.m.
Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children ages 5 to 12. Children under 5 visit for free.
