Tom McNeely (Canadian, B. 1935) "Columbus Crossing the Atlantic" Signed lower right. Original Mixed Media painting on Paper. Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation. This painting is the original painting which was published on the Fleetwood Maximum Card for the U.S. 29c Columbus Voyage; Crossing Atlantic issued April 24, 1992. For his first voyage, Columbus received three ships from King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. The Pinta and the Ni?ia, two caravels designed to sail fleetly into the wind, accompanied Columbus' flagship, the Mariagalante -- officially renamed the Santa Maria. Manned by a combined crew of 90 men, the ships set sail from the Spanish port of Palos on August 3, 1492. A good compass and crude quadrant were the admiral's only tools, for he measured latitude by the North Star and navigated by dead reckoning. Nine days later the ships reached the Canary Islands and docked to take on supplies and make repairs. On September 6, they put out to sea on a course set for due west. The sailors watched until Hierro, westernmost island of the Canaries and the last image of familiar ground, disappeared below the eastern horizon. For three weeks the ships sailed on, aided by fair trade winds and relatively smooth waters. The Journal of the First Voyage noted on September 16 that "The Admiral (Columbus) says here that today and ever thereafter they had very mild breezes, that the savor of the mornings was a great delight, that the only thing wanting was to hear nightingales. Says he, 'The weather was like April in Andalucia."' Image Size: 17 x 20.25 in. Overall Size: 17.25 x 21.75 in. Unframed. (B13784)