PITTSBURGH -- Pittsburgh residents on the city's North Shore might do a double take if they're gazing at the Ohio River.
Replicas of two of Christopher Columbus' ships, the Nina and the Pinta, sailed into the city on Tuesday at about 2 p.m.
Channel 4 Action News anchor Michelle Wright got an exclusive look at the ships when they docked between Heinz Field and PNC Park on the North Shore.
"The smallness is the first comment everybody makes. 'My goodness, I wouldn't take it across the river,' but it's extremely seaworthy and it was all they had 500 years ago," said Capt. Kyle Friauf, of the Columbus Foundation.
Crews that built the ships didn't use any electricity in order to get as close to the real thing as possible.
"The craftsmanship is amazing in this ship. It took 20 men almost three years [to build it]," said Friauf.
Pittsburgher John Patrick Sarsfield, an engineer and maritime historian, was in charge of the design of the Nina.
He led several years of research in Spain before beginning the project, but was killed in a car accident in Brazil before it was completed.
The ship has since been dedicated to him.
"This is where Columbus and his men had to carry everything they could possibly need or want for an entire year at sea -- what they planned on. No room down below for the sailor so they had to eat sleep up here," said Friauf.
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