A launching ceremony has been scheduled for a full-scale replica of Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo‘s flagship when he sailed into San Diego Bay nearly 500 years ago.
According to a report delivered Monday to the Port of San Diego Board of Commissioners, the wooden ship will be ready to launch April 19.
Volunteers have been building the $6.2 million, fully operational replica of the San Salvador over the past four years at Spanish Landing Park. Their progress can watched via a webcam operated by UC San Diego.
The 92-foot-long vessel will be moved around midnight April 17 to an area in front of the County Administration Center for public viewing and transported the next night to Broadway Pier, the report says.
Members of the Spanish royal family and Spanish ambassador to the U.S. — who are expected to be in San Diego at the time for a separate event — have been invited to the ceremony, along with honorary consuls of several countries, Gov. Jerry Brown and local elected officials.
The Maritime Museum of San Diego plans to use the vessel as an educational platform for children in Southern California.
Cabrillo, who sailed from Portugal, in 1542 became the first European to explore the coast of California. He entered San Diego Bay and named the area San Miguel.
City News Service contributed to this report.
