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El Galeon: Southend welcomes 17th Century Spanish galleon replica

John Fairhall/BBC El Galeon at Southend PierJohn Fairhall/BBC
The ship is believed to be one of only two galleon ship replicas in the world

A replica of the 17th Century Spanish galleon ships has welcomed crowds aboard at Southend Pier in Essex.

El Galeon docked on Wednesday and will not leave until 4 June, a week later than planned, due to popular demand.

The 162ft-long (49m) vessel is usually found in Seville, Spain, and has sailed to ports across the world.

Project manager Alvaro Lecaro said he was proud to work on one of the world's only two replica galleons and said the team was "here to educate people".

The Nao Victoria Foundation The El Galeón replica shipThe Nao Victoria Foundation
The replica ship is made from three types of wood - iroko, pine and beech
John Fairhall/BBC El Galeon at Southend PierJohn Fairhall/BBC
The ship is staying at Southend for a week longer than planned due to popular demand

The original galleons were used for trading and communication between Asia, Europe and the Americas in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries.

The replica, launched by the The Nao Victoria Foundation in 2009, is essentially a floating museum with crew in period costume welcoming guests for what is a ticketed event.

John Fairhall/BBC Alvaro LecaroJohn Fairhall/BBC
Alvaro Lecaro said his team on board were "here to educate people"
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