Why is it that virtually any ship with square sails and masts is referred to by the media as a “pirate ship?” Yesterday, a replica of the Nao Santa Maria, the ship that carried Columbus across the Atlantic on his first voyage, ran aground in New York harbor off Brooklyn.  A dozen or so news outlets all ran a variation of the same headline — “Replica Pirate Ship Runs Aground in NY Harbor.” 

To be fair the blame may lie primarily with the New York Special Ops which tweeted:  Ahoy! Low tide helps stop a pirate invasion. A replica pirate ship ran aground while navigating the New York Harbor this afternoon. #NYPD Harbor Charlie will be keeping a watchful eye on the uninjured pirates as they wait for the incoming tide to go on their way.  

Ahoy! Low tide helps stop a pirate invasion. A replica pirate ship ran aground while navigating the New York Harbor this afternoon. #NYPD Harbor Charlie will be keeping a watchful eye on the uninjured pirates as they wait for the incoming tide to go on their way. 🏴‍☠️ pic.twitter.com/LlYLsM1eW0

— NYPD Special Ops (@NYPDSpecialops) October 28, 2019

The non-pirate ship is indeed a new replica of the Santa Maria, built in the Punta Umbría shipyards in Spain and launched in 2018. She is now visiting the US East Coast. Last weekend she was docked at the Brooklyn Army Terminal. Her next port call is Baltimore, MD.

Running aground in Santa Maria may be taking historical reenactment a bit too far. On Christmas Eve in 1492, an inexperienced helmsman ran the original Santa Maria aground off what is now Haiti. She was later broken up and her timbers used to build a fort ashore.