![]() ![]() The museum continued to house the Pinta and Santa Maria even as they deteriorated. But records which reporter Tara Copp did obtain showed the fleet's financial insolvency along with a pattern of broken contracts and accounting discrepancies. Since the association was a private entity, the financial records were not subject to open records. The money was to go toward repairs of the Pinta and Santa Maria, which had been dry docked at the Corpus Christi Museum of Science and History in a $2.9-million concrete plaza built as a working drydock display.Ī Caller-Times investigation in 2000 found even more issues. Lloyd's of London presented the city with a $1.7 million check in October 1995 for the insurance settlement. More: Nina's future remains adrift due to lack of funds for repairs The upkeep of the wooden ships was high, the visitor turnout didn't generate the revenue expected and the two groups continued to experience friction. Meanwhile, relations between the association and the Spanish government continued to deteriorate. ![]() The Pinta was pushed into the Santa Maria, causing damage to that ship as well. This caused internal damage along with knocking down one of the Pinta's three masts. On April 12, 1994, an empty ocean-going barge bumped into the Pinta. Following a scare from Tropical Storm Arlene, the association moved the ships to Barge Dock One in the inner harbor. The ships arrived to their new home on June 12, 1993 and were moored at the Corpus Christi Barge Dock. Spain retained ownership, and the association would pay for insurance, towing and maintenance of the ships. The local nonprofit, Las Carabelas Columbus Fleet Association, paid $1.6 million to lease the ships for 50 years from Spain, with the money going to Sociedad Estal Del Quinto Centenario in Madrid. The money came from a combination of bank loans, private donations and foundations.Īccording to the agreement, after repayment of the $1.6 million, Spain '92- the nonprofit that supported programs to enhance relations between Spain and the United States - and the local association would share the net revenues for programs. View Gallery: Columbus ship replicas in Corpus Christi More: Residents want Columbus statue removed from Corpus Christi's port ![]() After some haggling, Spain backed off and a slightly lower amount was agreed upon. Twelve cities competed for the ships, and Corpus Christi eventually won.Īt one point during negotiations after Corpus Christi had already been selected as the ships' home, Spain demanded $2 million for the lease of the ships, after a private business owner in Galveston offered an undisclosed bid - which was higher than $2 million, according to reports. In 1993, the city and state lobbied intensely to have the ships permanently berthed in the city. More than 107,000 people turned out for the ships' 10-day visit in Corpus Christi. The ships toured 20 cities in the United States in 1992, including a visit to Corpus Christi in March of that year. More: La Niña replica ship sinks in Corpus Christi Bay: Here's what's next for this last ship Watch Video: The Columbus ship replicas in Corpus Christi ![]()
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