Silenced, forgotten, covered in dust… was La Niña III. Paraphrasing Bécquer, as Professor Fernández Belda recalled this March, the reality of this Caravelle today is far from the epic that saw it born. After months of abandonment amid the remnants of party bottles and the administrative negligence that culminated in a partial fire in May 2023, the City Council of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria has taken action, according to them. The commissioning of a technical study by naval architect Daniel Rodríguez Zaragoza will determine whether this treasure of nautical archaeology will be restored or disappear definitively. Unlike the ships built at the behest of public funding for the celebrations of 1992, La Niña III is a unique example. It was the only replica capable of crossing the Atlantic to Santo Domingo sailing exclusively under wind power, without diesel engines, faithfully following in the wake of Christopher Columbus. It is, in essence, a 17-meter long ‘patera’ that represents the purity of medieval navigation in its materials, rigging, and construction. The existence of this vessel is due to the personal commitment of Lieutenant Commander Carlos Etayo Elizondo. Far from the million-dollar subsidies —those ‘pells’ that defined the wastefulness of Expo 92—, Etayo invested his own inheritance and private contributions to reach the 20 million pesetas that its construction cost at the shipyards of Bayona. At 71 years old, the captain crossed the ‘Sea of Darkness’ with the support of public affection: while institutions looked the other way, the Canarians filled its hold with bananas, gofio, and provisions. After being stranded in the Dominican Republic due to lack of funds, it was the commitment of entities like the Mapfre Foundation and the Cabildo of Gran Canaria that allowed its return to the islands in 1993, where it began a tour of the Muelle Deportivo, the Naval Base, and the Castillo de la Luz. The current location behind the Elder Museum has not served to protect it, but rather to render it invisible. Experts and heritage defenders propose an ambitious integration: to situate it in a trench that simulates its buoyancy, in the style of the famous Cutty Sark in Greenwich. This initiative would not only save the ship but also create a pedagogical axis between the Elder Museum (focused on technique and science) and the Casa de Colón in Vegueta (focused on history), offering a top-level cultural route for the millions of visitors to the island. La Niña III is not being restored to sail again, but for static exhibition. To rehabilitate a large Canary wooden balcony does not require an architect, but skilled woodworkers. The current feasibility study opens a window of hope, although the debate about its execution arises. While technical direction is necessary, the reconstruction of its wooden structure could benefit from local craftsmanship and master woodworkers, given that its final destination is the ‘dry dock’ and public exhibition. After decades of voyages and neglect, only time will tell if the Caravelle reaches a worthy destination. La Niña III is not just a ship; it is the physical testament to Gran Canaria’s essential role in the 1492 expedition and the legacy of a captain who believed in history above budgetary constraints.
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