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The USS KIDD Veterans Museum is proud to host the visit of the tall ship Nao TRINIDAD, which will be sailing upriver to Baton Rouge next month and be open for public tours from March 13th through the 25th on the downtown riverfront.

The Nao TRINIDAD is a Spanish-built replica of the 16^th-Century flagship of the Magellan-Elcano expedition, the first to sail around the world.  The original was the flagship of the Armada del Maluco (1519-1522), captained by Ferdinand Magellan. Five Naos (a ship that combined the design elements of both Mediterranean and Northern European-style ships) departed from Sevilla, but only two made it to the Spice Islands, Nao TRINIDAD was one of them.  The replica Nao TRINDAD’s visit to America celebrates 500 years since the world’s first circumnavigation of the globe.

Completed after 14 months of construction on March 11, 2018, the replica Nao TRINIDAD weighs 200 gross tons, is 93ft in length with a 26ft beam.  Her three masts carry five sails, with the mainmast being more than 82 feet high.  Her hull contains five decks and was constructed of  tropical Iroko (African hardwood) and pinewood. Nao TRINIDAD has sailed to many different ports in the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic coasts of both Europe and America as a training vessel and floating museum.

The Naos have a unique and original design that made them the most advanced in naval engineering of that time, used first as cargo ships in Spain and then as exploring vessels. Nao TRINIDAD is a full-scale replica, faithful to the original’s design and dimensions. More than a hundred maritime artisans worked on her construction, including ship carpenters, rope masters and naval engineers.

Visitors will be able to tour four decks in order to experience how 16^th-Century life was like onboard and how it is to live today on an historical ship of that time. They will be able to learn about seamanship directly from the crew, who will have many amazing experiences from their long voyages to share.

Nao TRINIDAD was built and is managed by the Nao Victoria (NV) Foundation, a non-profit entity that focuses on sharing their maritime heritage, supporting the recovery, construction and promotion of historical ships, and interaction with the public through worldwide sailing tours. The NV Foundation combines historical accuracy with modern techniques in shipbuilding to deliver a safe and accurate living history experience.

Nao TRINIDAD will be moored alongside USS KIDD during her stay in Baton Rouge.  Tickets are $25 per person (children under 5 years old with an adult are free) and include access to the USS KIDD Veterans Museum, and both ships.  The Museum will be open for special engagement hours, 9:30am to 4:30 pm, from March 13^th through March 25^th (the opening date may change, due to weather possibly impacting the Nao TRINIDAD’s arrival in Baton Rouge).   Because this is a multi-day event, tickets are available only at the entrance to the USS KIDD Veterans Museum on the day of visit.

The USS KIDD Veterans Museum is open daily. Admission is charged. Visit the website at usskidd.com or call 225-342-1942 for more information.