Historic galleon opens to the public in Gravesend

The Galeon Andalucia will be open to visitors from Wednesday

A reproduction Spanish galleon which is berthed at a Kent port is open to the public.

The Galeon Andalucia is a reproduction of the kind of vessel used to cross the Atlantic between the 16th and 18th centuries.

It docked at Gravesend Town Pier on Tuesday and is open to visitors until 22 September.

The ship's interior has been fitted out to be a floating museum dedicated to the age of sail.

Details of a sailing ship in the 18th century have been faithfully recreated

The vessel was launched in November 2009 after weeks of historical research and 17 months of construction.

It can reach speeds of seven knots, needs a crew of up to 35 people and has sailed the Atlantic, the Pacific and Indian oceans and the Mediterranean, China Aegean, Caribbean and Red seas.

The ship has visited locations around the world, including New York

Alvaro Lecaro is the ships manager and has been living aboard for 9 years.

He said: "It’s a big ship so living aboard is not to bad as we have space. You have to be prepared to share with other people.

"It lets you travel around the world and show Spain’s maritime history.”

“I have been to the United States, Caribbean, Canada and then crossed the Atlantic to Europe."

Ship manager Alvaro Lecaro: "You have to be prepared to share with other people"

The ship, which is based in Seville, Spain, is 55m (180ft) long, has six decks and seven sails.

The visit to Gravesend is part of a European tour which has already taken in Italy, France, Germany, Spain and the Netherlands.

The ship has also visited China, Singapore, Hong Kong, Manila, the United States and Canada.