Whitehaven is preparing for the arrival of a tall ship this week.
The Nao Santa María is expected to dock earlier than expected at Whitehaven Harbour at high water between 11.30am and 11.45am tomorrow, Tuesday July 28.
It will also open for visits a full day early on Wednesday at 10am, but it’s official welcome event will still take place on Thursday at 10am.
The ship will remain in the harbour until Monday August 10 when on the next suitable high tide, it will move on to Liverpool.
It will then dock in Barrow for the first time in late August.
The vessel is a replica of the ship that Christopher Columbus sailed to the Americas in 1492.
People are able to explore its interior, discover life on board in the 15th century and learn more about Christopher Columbus’ voyage.
It is open to families, history enthusiasts and anyone with a love for the sea.
People are asked to be aware that as the ship is a historic replica, some areas may have limited accessibility.
Its visit has been supported by Whitehaven Harbour Commissioners, Richardsons of Whitehaven, Whitehaven Town Council, Josh MacAlister MP, Amentum, Sellafield, Jennings/Delkia, Cavendish Nuclear, Sunbelt Rentals and Whitehaven Marina/Marina Projects.
Solway Firth Partnership also provided a grant through the Robin Rigg Community Fund to support the Whitehaven Harbour Commissioners 2026 Harbour Sessions programme, which will feature live music performances while the ship is in Whitehaven.
The ship is crewed by The Nao Victoria Foundation – which builds and sails historic replica ships across the world.
Gerard Richardson, owner of Richardsons of Whitehaven and deputy lieutenant of Cumbria, has led the organisation of the ship’s visit.
He has worked closely with the town council over the last 30 years to bring a wide array of events to the town.
Gerard said: “I think it’s wonderful for the town. Ships like this, they are floating museums. They are created to be exact replicas and have all the talking points and display boards explaining its history.
“She’s coming in at a prime time too, over the last 30 years I’ve brought all sorts of tall ships into Whitehaven, but the lunchtime slot I’ve only hit around five times before and it is perfect for photographers.
“For a week or so it’s like adding a third tourist attraction to the town. We’ve always had the view that the town could do with three permanent tourist attractions, you need just that little bit of a tipping point to pull people over from the central Lakes.
“So when you bring a ship like this in, it does just that and it makes for a fabulous few weeks.”
Gerard said he is also hoping to see the tall ship’s visit help boost footfall in the town.
He added: “A major problem we’ve had in the last decade is everything is done online. Weekly shops are done online, birthday and Christmas presents are done online and it’s a genuine issue for the high-street.
“Everyone is now looking at how we redesign the town to get people in and make it more attractive and what you’ve got to do is get people back on the high-street.
“In Whitehaven’s case, we do it every single time we bring a tall ship in and have events like it. When we had the whale sculpture come to the town it had a fabulous impact on the high-street.
“People go for a wander and re-discover shops they’ve forgotten about, it’s a really important boost for the town.”
Tickets for the Nao Santa Maria will be available online or at a quayside stall.
The tall ship previously visited the town last year with the Galéon Andalucia.
