Model ship kit Caravel Pinta from manufacturer Amati
History of the original:
The caravel Pinta was one of the three ships on Christopher Columbus's first voyage of discovery in 1492. Together with the Santa Maria and the Niña, it formed the small fleet that left Spain heading west. The Pinta was under the command of Martín Alonso Pinzón, an experienced sailor from Palos de la Frontera. Its owner was the Pinzón family, who played a key role in enabling Columbus to equip and carry out the expedition. Without the nautical expertise and local support of the Pinzón brothers, the voyage would have been much more difficult in terms of organisation and technical expertise.
The Pinta was a typical Spanish caravel of the late 15th century, a type of ship characterised by a light, manoeuvrable hull, relatively low displacement and efficient sail handling. It was originally used as a caravel with Latin rigging, but was converted to square rigging for the Atlantic crossing in order to achieve better performance downwind and before the wind. Caravels were particularly suitable for exploratory voyages, as they could reach coastal waters and river mouths with a shallow draught, while remaining seaworthy. Their light frame construction, narrow fore section and slightly raised stern ensured good manoeuvrability and speed even in moderate winds.
The exact dimensions of the Pinta are not documented, but maritime reconstructions based on contemporary sources and comparable ship plans assume an overall length of about 20 to 24 metres, a width of about 6 to 7 metres and a crew of about 26 to 30 men. As a square-rigged ship with two masts, the Pinta carried large foresails and mainsails as well as a smaller mizzen sail or emergency foresail, depending on the current rig configuration. This sail configuration gave it high speed over long distances, which was confirmed several times during the expedition; contemporary reports mention the Pinta as the fastest ship in the fleet.
During the voyage across the Atlantic, the Pinta was considered particularly efficient. When it set sail in August 1492, it proved to be a robust, seaworthy working ship. After its rudder was damaged in the Canary Islands, it had to be repaired at short notice, but then rejoined the fleet. On 12 October 1492, Columbus reached the coast of an island in the Bahamas. According to tradition, the Pinta, under Martín Alonso Pinzón, was the first of the three caravels to sight the coast, an event that is also mentioned in the chronicle of the expedition. The Pinta operated independently during the subsequent exploratory voyages and contributed significantly to the exploration of the coastlines in the Caribbean region.
The return voyage to Europe was challenging for the Pinta, marked by severe Atlantic storms and navigational uncertainties. It reached the port of Bayona in Galicia in March 1493 and then Palos, once again confirming its seaworthiness under difficult conditions. After its return home, the concrete trail of the ship is lost; the Pinta did not reappear in any significant later records and was presumably decommissioned and taken out of service in the years following the expedition, or continued to be used in regional seafaring until it disappeared from active service.
In maritime history, the Pinta stands for the combination of practical shipbuilding craftsmanship, navigational expertise and the courage of small, seaworthy ships that pushed the boundaries of the known world. In the typology of exploration ships, it marks the peak of caravel construction before the transition to larger nau and carrack types, which dominated transoceanic voyages in the early 16th century. Its role in the 1492 expedition anchors it as one of the central ships of the European Age of Discovery and as an example of the performance of the light, fast-sailing exploration vessels of that time.
Description of the kit:
The kit contains keel and frames made of 4 mm plywood, laser cut. Beech and walnut strips for planking the frame construction. The fittings are perfect. Cleats and blocks are made of wood, cannons, mast bases, anchors and window decorations are made of metal. The rowing boat is finely detailed and made of cast metal. Rigging material is included, the sail set is ready-sewn and the red cross is marked. The flag set is extensive. A simple model stand is included.
Who is this kit suitable for?
The model is well suited for model builders with experience in ship model building.
What else is needed?
Paints, adhesives and tools are required and can be found in our range.
What do the building instructions look like?
The printed instructions consist of large plans with drawings and supplementary text instructions. The German translation of the individual construction stages is provided on a separate sheet.
A parts list and knot instructions are included.
Languages: German, English, Italian
The assembly instructions are not available for download.
Technical data:
Scale: 1:65
Length: 450 mm
Width: 120 mm
Height: 380 mm
