The replica Spanish Galleon, San Salvador, glided quietly out of the foggy gloom on Sept. 29, announcing her arrival in Morro Bay Harbor with cannon fire and greeted by a flotilla of boats — from kayaks and paddle boards, to a dragon boat, sailboats, power boats and the Coast Guard, with a water canon salute from the Harbor Patrol. There were also three, handmade, tule reed boats fashioned by the local Salinan Tribe, whose ancestors inhabited the area in 1542, when the original San Salvador explored the California Coast. A group of young people, dressed in traditional Salinan garb, paddled out from Coleman Beach to greet her. The boat is docked at the South T-pier until Oct. 10, with dockside tours available from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. Her visit is a fundraiser for the Morro Bay Maritime Museum Association. San Salvador was built by the San Diego Maritime Museum and is on her maiden voyage.
Photos by Neil Farrell
