Replicas of the Niña and the Pinta, two of Christopher Columbus' explorer ships will not be coming to Hudson this season due to flooding along Midwestern rivers.
The ships were to dock at a Hudson, Wis., harbor July 9-18 where they would be open daily for public tours.
Stephen Sanger, project manager with the Columbus Foundation, which educates people about the explorer ships Columbus sailed, said the two ships will instead sail to a river in Tennessee. The foundation's website says it canceled stops at all ports along the Upper Mississippi River Valley because of flooding.
Emily Sumner, director of tourism and marketing at the Hudson Area Chamber of Commerce & Tourism Bureau said the ships, which have visited the city before, are a big draw for tourists and locals.
"The ships were to arrive around the river festival and we were hopeful of adding a few special events," she said.
According to the foundation, the ships are replicas of those Columbus used on his voyages across the Atlantic in 1492. The original ships were trading vessels preferred for their speed and easy navigation.
The Niña replica has been sailing since 1991. The replica of the Pinta, which is bigger than the original, was completed in 2005. Both the replicas were built and launched in Brazil.
The replica ships are floating museums that travel an average 10 months every year and visit 30 to 40 locations across the country. The two ships last sailed to Hudson in 2016.
