The Nau Santa Maria was unable to participate in the reenactment of Christopher Columbus's landing, part of the Colombo Festival 2026 in Porto Santo, owing to adverse weather conditions.
The vessel, sailing approximately 3 nautical miles northeast of Ponta de São Lourenço, encountered strong waves and wind. For safety reasons, the Skipper decided to abort the journey back to Funchal Port, making its participation in the event impossible.
The landing reenactment, scheduled to take place on Porto Santo beach, will proceed as planned, using the traditional canoe for the transfer between the ship and the shore. The Regional Secretariat for Tourism, Environment, and Culture of RAM confirmed that safety was the primary consideration for the decision.
