A REPLICA of a 15-century Portuguese caravel has dropped anchor at Raby Bay.
The ship has sailed in for the school holidays and is open for inspections on Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 9am to 3pm.
Adult entry is $5 and children are $2.
Portuguese or Spanish caravels were used for exploration in the 1400s.
They were small and highly maneuverable sailing boats used for journeys, including along the West African coast.
The idea of building a replica 15th century caravel came to Graeme Wylie when he wondered how to use 300 tonnes of Monterey cypress piled in his backyard.
The cypress had been saved from bonfires on south-west Victoria farms.
Mr Wiley, an experienced carpenter, spent two years researching the ship's design.
He used historic maps, charts and paintings with images of the vessel to draft up the blueprint.
The Notorious is moored at the public pontoon at Raby Bay marina.
The HMAS Victory is another noteworthy maritime relic.
The vessel was launched in 1765 and used in The Battle of Trafalgar by Admiral Lord Nelson against the French and Spanish in 1805.
The magnificent boat is kept as a museum ship at Portsmouth at England.
Visitors can explore the ship's crew quarters, the supply hold and walk on the gun decks where Nelson himself once walked.
