Remember last year’s impressive monstrosity of a ship that docked at 3^rd Street for a few days in August? Well guess what, it’s coming back! Due to the popularity of the event, El Galeon, the 16^th Century vessel replica war ship, is coming back on August 1^st to Ocean City with plans to be docked in our resort town for an entire month.

El Galeon is the only galleon class vessel in the world that is still sailing today.  It will be docked again at the Bayside Pier between 3^rd and 4^th streets and will be open to the public for a whole month starting August 1^st and leaving the docks to head to its next destination on September 1^st.

The ship was a favorite for locals and visitors, many of whom are glad to hear that it’s making a return visit.  “I took my daughter last year and she was amazed at the size,” said Mark Truitt. “It’s definitely an experience that you can’t find anywhere else, the crew is awesome and Ocean City does a great job organizing the event.”

The ship is coming back with some new history this year. Last fall the ship was featured in the new NBC series, Crossbones, which premiered in May. The show stars John Malkovich as the legendary pirate Blackbeard.

Stepping aboard the ship is like stepping back 500 years in time. The Galleon is an exact replica of the 16^th Century ships that Spanish explorers sailed on while discovering much of the world. The vessel is 162-feet long and weighs just over 500 tons. There are six cast iron cannons on each side of the ship, as well as two cast iron anchors with wooden stocks. 18 crew members are needed to sail the ship, with an additional 8 volunteers on board for assisting with the tours.

From the 16^th to 18^th centuries, galleons played the lead role in commercial and cultural relationships between Spain, America and Asia. Galleons were constructed from oak, pine and various hardwoods, and called for the work of hundreds of expert tradesman, including carpenters, blacksmiths, shipwrights and pitch-melters. Crews would work day and night for months before a galleon was considered seaworthy. Because the ships were costly, they were typically used for trade rather than military use.

The El Galeon Andalucia was constructed in 2008 and is owned by the Nao Victoria Foundation of Spain. The Foundation has extensive experience in the design, construction and maintenance of historical ships. Between 2010 and 2013, the Galleon has traveled over 35,000 nautical miles, traversing the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic Oceans, as well as the Mediterranean Sea, the Red Sea, the Southern China Sea, the Aegean Sea, the Bosporus Strait and the Caribbean Sea. In total, the El Galeon has stopped at 50 ports across the world.

When the ship arrives it will be open daily from 10AM to 6PM, making it convenient times for all. At-the-dock pricing is $16.00 for adults and $10.00 for children.

So come check it out, she sure is a beaut!

Also, don’t forget to catch the new show, Crossbones to see even more of El Galeon in action.