The pirate ship Marigalante sank in Puerto Vallarta, after water inflow and damage to the drainage pump, according to the ship’s management company.
The “pirate ship” attraction Marigalante sank off Puerto Vallarta, after water inflow and damage to the drainage pump of the bilges, according to the ship’s management company.
The Marigalante was a faithful replica of Christopher Columbus’s legendary Santa Maria and was built in 1987 to honor the 500th anniversary of the historic voyage of discovery. For more than three decades it was in Puerto Vallarta and was one of the most famous landmarks of the port.
As a tourist vessel it performed two trips daily, one day excursion and one evening dinner cruise. Although it operated “with sails”, these were mainly decorative. The ship was particularly popular with visitors, gathering positive reviews on TripAdvisor.
On October 11, the Marigalante was off Puerto Vallarta amidst bad weather, when water inflow started. The drainage pump malfunctioned and the crew attempted to return hastily to the port.
As it approached the Buenaventura hotel, the situation worsened and the ship began to sink. All passengers abandoned the ship safely without, fortunately, any injuries reported.
As a person who has seen many ships battle the sea, I can imagine the agony and the fight the crew must have given at that moment. No one wants to see a ship lost, especially when there are passengers on it. Every hull carries a story, and the Marigalante had written its own on the coasts of Mexico.
The ship expected to replace it is the Jolly Roger, whose construction is already underway and is expected to be completed by the end of the year.
“Today, the Marigalante rests in the waters that were always its home, where it will remain forever in the memory of those who saw it set sail,” the entity Pirate Ship Vallarta stated in an announcement.
The Marigalante may have sunk, but for some romantics it will exist forever in their hearts. The case of the pirate ship moved locals and tourists, as for many it was a symbol of Puerto Vallarta.
Now we wait to see if this will continue to be used for tourist purposes, this time as an artificial reef.
