I completed this over a year ago, but thought you might still like to see it: this is the Heller 1/100 scale kit of Columbus's caravel "Nina". I built it more to represent a generic 15th century merchant caravel, as nobody knows exactly what Columbus's ships looked like.
This was my first attempt at building a sailing ship with all the rigging, including blocks; having only two masts and sails, it's not too challenging to rig. As with the Hansa Cog, I put the (vacformed plastic) sails on this model, as it looks distinctly bare without them. The crosses are hand painted, and the sails are first painted in a canvas colour, then lightly drybrushed.
The model was painted with Revell acrylics - hull Leather Brown, lower hull matt black (Tar Black wasn't available in early 2007!) and deck Earth Brown drybrushed with Stone Grey. Drybrushed craft acrylic paint was used to get the wood grain effect + weathering streaks on the hull.
I would also highly recommend this kit as a "starter" sailing ship - if you can find it! Though about 30 years old, the kit is nicely moulded and detailed, and easy to assemble. The Heller "Pinta" kit is similar (the hull is identical) but with a more elaborate superstructure + forecastle, and possibly a different rig.
Has anyone built the 1/100 scale caravel kit produced by the Portuguese manufacturer "Occidental"? The box art looks a lot like the Heller Nina, but I don't know if it is the same mould.