If you haven’t been down to River Street to see the Niña and the Pinta, replicas of two of the three ships Christopher Columbus sailed to the New World, you have only this weekend to see and learn more about the special vessels favored by Columbus and other explorers of the era.
Portuguese caravels, designed to carry crew of only 18 to 24 sailors and light cargo, were generally considered the Ferraris of the 15th century.
Since they arrived last week, the mostly volunteer crew — only the captain and first mate are paid — has been busy giving tours, answering questions and seeing the sights of Savannah, according to Jamie Sanger, a cook on the Pinta.
Click here to view photos of the Pinta's arrival and photos taken onboard the ship.
“Last weekend was packed, with some 1,500 people coming on board each day,” he said. “Weekdays have mostly been groups of schoolchildren, about 300 a day.”
Sanger, 22, has been a member of the crew for three years and has no desire to bail anytime soon.
“What’s not to love?” he asked. “We get to sail a ship, travel, meet interesting people and see places we might never see otherwise.
“The people of Savannah, especially the River Street merchants, have been very welcoming, and the city is beautiful,” said Sanger, who holds dual British and U.S. citizenship and lives in the British Virgin Islands when he’s not on the ship.
Sailing 10 months a year, the Niña and Pinta will eventually make their way up the coast to Maine, then back down to New York, through the Erie Canal to the Great Lakes and down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico.
Built by the nonprofit Columbus Foundation, based in the British Virgin Islands, the Niña — constructed by hand without the use of power tools — has been described by Archaeology Magazine as “the most historically correct Columbus replica ever built.”
The Pinta, a larger version of the caravel, was recently built in Brazil to accompany the Niña on her travels.
The third ship in Columbus’ fleet, the much larger and slower Santa Maria, was not a caravel and was considered more of a cargo ship. While the original caravels survived the voyage and returned to Spain in 1493, the Santa Maria ran aground off Hispaniola two months after arriving in the Caribbean and was destroyed.
The ships will remain open for touring from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. today through Sunday. Admission is $8 for adults, $7 for seniors and $6 for students ages 5-16. Children 4 and younger are free. No reservations are necessary.
The ships will set sail early Monday for Beaufort, then Georgetown, S.C., as they continue their voyage up the coast.
GPA revamps Commercial Corridors Tool
The Georgia Ports Authority announced Thursday it has updated its search engine for manufacturing and logistics sites to make it more comprehensive and easier to access.
“Making a smart investment in a new business location requires reliable, up-to-date information on available property and transportation options,” said GPA executive director Curtis Foltz.
“Our revamped Commercial Corridors Tool is now more useful and more flexible than ever — putting the right information at your fingertips so companies can make the right choices on property development.”
Users may search for available land or buildings by any of several criteria, such as location, property type, real estate listing, size, interstate or highway corridors, distance to port or rail and tax credit tiers.
The web-based tool now works on all platforms, including mobile devices.
“This is just one more way that Georgia welcomes new and expanding businesses to our state,” said Gov. Nathan Deal. “Our tax structure, specialized workforce training, and, especially, our superior logistics network make Georgia the No. 1 state to do business.”
Businesses considering Georgia locations can also bookmark sites on four main corridors: Interstate 95, Interstate 16, Savannah River Parkway or U.S. 341, said Cliff Pyron, chief commercial officer at the GPA.
“By working with partners such as Georgia Power to share data, the listings are now more extensive and updated more frequently,” Pyron said.
Pedro Cherry, vice president of community and economic development for Georgia Power, said GPA’s Commercial Corridors Tool complements his team’s efforts at the Georgia Resource Center.
“Georgia Power can also provide detailed workforce analyses, demographic reports and information about current economic conditions and forecasts,” Cherry said.
Check out the new Commercial Corridors Tool at www.gaports.com/siteselection/#.
Savannah to host India conference
India is a country of 1.2 billion people, second only in population to China’s 1.3 billion. And with a projected annual growth rate of 5 percent, it is a promising market in sectors such as agriculture, engineering goods, consumer goods, pharmaceuticals, textiles and telecom, among others.
That’s what makes the upcoming “India’s Supply Chain: Markets and Opportunities” conference a must-go for area logistics companies, exporters and others hoping to learn more about tapping India’s potential.
Set for April 15-16 at the Hyatt Regency Savannah, the day-and-a-half business forum kicks off with a tour of the Port of Savannah and evening reception on the waterfront.
Day 2 will feature keynote speakers and break-out sessions covering the India perspective on warehousing and distribution, infrastructure opportunities, innovations in supply chain technology, legal regulations for partnerships, mergers and acquisitions and transfer pricing; existing India supply chain and logistics services and India’s integration with the global supply chain.
Cost is $155 for either day or $275 for both days.
To register, go to www.usaindiabusinesssummit.com/registration.php.
Senior business reporter Mary Carr Mayle covers the ports for the Savannah Morning News and savannahnow. She can be reached at 912-652-0324 or at mary.mayle@savannahnow.com.
Following are the ships expected to call on Georgia Ports Authority’s Garden City and Ocean terminals this week. Schedules are supplied by GPA and are subject to change.
TERMINAL VESSEL ETA
GCT OOCL OAKLAND Today
GCT YM SHANGHAI Today
GCT HS BRUCKNER Today
GCT MSC ANGELA Today
GCT MSC FIRENZE Today
GCT MSC METHONI Today
GCT MOL EXPEDITOR Today
GCT STADT GERA Today
GCT XIN NAN TONG Today
GCT ZIM TEXAS Today
GCT MSC CHICAGO Saturday
GCT APL NINGBO Saturday
GCT DUBAI EXPRESS Saturday
GCT MSC MAUREEN Saturday
GCT CHEMICAL PIONEER Saturday
GCT NYK NEBULA Saturday
OT TYSLA Saturday
GCT MSC SHAULA Sunday
GCT APL CYPRINE Sunday
GCT SINGAPORE EXPRESS Sunday
OT FEDERAL SETO Sunday
OT TULANE Sunday
GCT NYK CLARA Monday
GCT CMA CGM SAMSON Monday
GCT SAKAKA Monday
GCT HYUNDAI FORWARD Monday
GCT MAERSK COLUMBUS Monday
OT ATLANTIC ELAND Monday
GCT IBRAHIM DEDE Tuesday
GCT MOL ENDEAVOR Tuesday
GCT MSC MARINA Tuesday
GCT STADT GERA Tuesday
GCT ZIM TARRAGONA Tuesday
GCT EVER DIADEM Tuesday
GCT NYK RUMINA Tuesday
GCT PHILADELPHIA EXPRESS Tuesday
GCT CHARLES DICKENS Tuesday
GCT BOSTON EXPRESS Tuesday
GCT HANJIN RIO DE JANEIRO Tuesday
OT BBC RUSHMORE Tuesday
GCT ISLANDIA Wednesday
GCT MSC BUSAN Wednesday
GCT MOL PERFORMANCE Wednesday
GCT MAERSK SOFIA Wednesday
GCT GLEN CANYON BRIDGE Wednesday
OT TIJUCA Wednesday
GCT COSCO JEDDAH Thursday
GCT WARNOW ORCA Thursday
GCT MAERSK MISSOURI Thursday
GCT JPO CAPRICORNUS Thursday