1597 fleet off Abaco, Bahamas

[abacopirate]

i have heard many rumors in the past years that a fleet sunk on the abaco islands in 1597. have come across references to it in several places. looking for addational information, or is this a ghost fleet. thanks.

 

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[ivan salis]

there is a 1563 fleet with several naos and a capitana from the neuva espana folta that was lost from capt general juan menendez fleet --tucker was thought to have found one of them a spanish unidentified vessel date estimated about 1560 -- its the only large numbers of ships" lost fleet" reported lost near that time frame in marx's book -- "ship wrecks in the america's" don't see any listings for a fleet lost in 1597 -- hope this helps

 

[Bobadilla]

there is a 1563 fleet with several naos and a capitana from the neuva espana folta that was lost from capt general juan menendez fleet --tucker was thought to have found one of them a spanish unidentified vessel date estimated about 1560 -- its the only large numbers of ships" lost fleet" reported lost near that time frame in marx's book -- "ship wrecks in the america's" don't see any listings for a fleet lost in 1597 -- hope this helps

Hello Ivan,

Regards from Dominican Republic. I would like just to mention that 1563 Spanish fleet consisting of three naos was lost in the Bay of Montecristi on the northern coast of our island. This fleet was made up by the Spanish ships Santa Catalina, San Jorge and Santa María de Guadalupe. These ships left South America harbors and made a stop in Honduras. En their route back to Spain in 1563, they were caught in a storm and crashed into a reef in the Montecristi area. Only the Santa María was partially salvaged. The other two ships drifted off the reef and went down in deep water. A complete cargo of jewels, gold, and more than 300,000 silver coins were lost.

Best regards,
Bobadilla

 

[ivan salis]

in his book --- in the HISPANOLA section -- marx lists in 1564 the nao - Santa Maria de Guadalope --250 tons-- capt salvador gomez --- after recieving a cargo of gold and silver from another vessel that sank in the bahama channel-- during a storm lost her masts and drifted until wrecking at Monte Cristi where divers later recovered the treasure she carried. --( nothing is said of the other two vessels you talk about however) the Santa Catalina and the San Jorge-- it maybe be from the other fleet ( there were two differant fleets one was the northern ( mexico ) "new spain" nueva espana folta -- fleet -- the other the other the south american fleet or tierra firme aramada or folta --- thus there coulds easily be two 1563 differant fleets --the northern and the southern which could account for fleet wrecks in both locations --- the under the BAHAMA LISTING IT SAYS several naos and a capitana lost were lost from the "new spain " fleet ---neuva espana flota---the northern fleet ---you state that the vessels lost off hispanola (monte cristi) were coming from honduras* -- thats the area normally where the tierra firme fleet --(the southern fleet) came from--- Ivan

 

[Bobadilla]

Ivan, I agree with your statement about two fleets - north and south - but how it would be possible that Robert Marx describes the same ship, "Santa Maria de Guadaloupe" that had taken on board treasure from other ship and then lost masts in a strom and after drifitng shipwrecked in the area of Montecristi? The fleet that sailed from Honduras was formed almost always by maximum of three vessels, not more, unlike other fleets. It explains the three naos that shipwrecked in the Bay of Montecristi. It seems to me that we all speak really about the same fleet of 1563. The fact that Robert Marx does not mention other two ships in his book does not mean that they did not exist. At least it is my opinion based on results of my modest investigations in Dominican archives and Montecristi itself.

Regards,
Bobadilla

 

[ivan salis]

ah maybe the treasure from an earlier wreck was taken back to honduras by salvage vessels (salvage was commonly done on wrecks if it could be done and then it was taken to a safe port and reloaded on the next spain bound fleet) thus it means she was carrying more treasure than normal --- when it wrecked near monte christi --- the records either mean the she was loaded with the treasure of another wrecked vessel before departing port--- or---- possibly she came across another wrecked vessel (maybe not of her fleet or their many have been 4 vessels that year ) and took on their treasure onboard while in route--- before finally wrecking herself at monte christi --- thats my take on it --- Ivan