A 50-metre-long replica of a 17th-century Spanish tall ship has docked in Weymouth and is open to the public.
El Galeon arrived at Weymouth Harbour on Thursday, May 18 and will stay in the town until 10pm on Monday, May 22.
The giant ship is also a floating museum owned by the Nao Victoria Foundation in Spain.
Visitors have flocked to explore the ship and learn about the mysteries of 17th-century vessels.
It was busy on board yesterday as a big crowd explored it in the sunshine.
Lots of onlookers around the harbour were also seen taking pictures of the magnificent ship.
The impressive ship is 50m in length, 6m in depth and weighs 496gt.
It travelled to Weymouth from Ramsgate in Kent and will continue on its journey around Europe, stopping off at Southend-on-Sea after Weymouth.
Visitors can go aboard for a tour with prices costing £10 for adults, £5 for children and £25 for families (two adults and up to 2 children between 5-10 years).
Once aboard a self-guided walking tour is available of the vessel via a QR code, with an audio tour available in English, Spanish or French.
Visitors may also wander its decks, including two lower decks, talk to actual crew members and view interactive exhibits, videos, projections and historical documents telling the story of medieval maritime.
The upper deck features information about the boat and its structure whilst the lower decks tell the story of exploration and trade on these Spanish Galleons.
The below deck features replica canons, which would have been used for self-defence, as well as sleeping quarters for the crew and admirals.
El Galeon is set to be berthed at Weymouth Harbour at the Visitors Pontoon from 10am to 8pm until Monday.
El Galeon has travelled more than 70,000 miles visiting major ports around the world.
The entire timber structure has been reinforced to ensure the 500-year-old design meets all 21st-century regulations to safely sail.
One visitor said: "It is amazing, we saw it come in yesterday. It is a very impressive ship but I was also impressed by how much information there was, especially for the kids who want to come and see it."
Another said: "It is like being on a real-life pirate ship it was fantastic.
"I have never seen anything like it before it was a great experience."
Picture: Roger Hogbin
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