Called the most acurate recreation of his flagship- it was designed by an American engineer John Patrick Sarsfield, who was killed in an auto accident before his ship set sail, and built in Brazil using Old World shipbuilding techniques and now sails the world as a floating museum. It is black- not from paint but from pine tar to protect the wood from the sea and air. The original boat was probably made from oak with pine masts. This version was made with local Brazilian woods also commonly used in ship building. If you would like more information on the boat, their website is www.thenina.com/nina