Those of you who live near Dover may have taken the opportunity to visit a reproduction of a 17th-century Spanish galleon in the Port of Dover Marina between 6 and 10 August. For those who were unable to, this article gives a sample of what you missed.
I must go down to the seas again!
The words of John Masefield’s poem take me back to my primary school classroom, where they were spoken with gusto to reinforce the history of the days when more than half of the world map was coloured red to show the extent of the British Empire. Little did I know that at age 15, I would be standing on Plymouth Hoe, where, on 29 July 1588, Sir Francis Drake reportedly said he had time to finish his game of bowls and “thrash the Spaniards afterwards” to prevent Spain invading Protestant England to restore Catholicism. I was also just starting a full career in the Royal Navy, followed by retirement in Spain for over 20 years.
Why galleons?
Christopher Columbus is widely quoted as having ‘discovered America’ on 12 October 1492, although there is documentary evidence that a Norseman, Leif Erikson, was there some 500 years earlier. The date 12 October is still celebrated as Columbus Day in America and a National Fiesta in Spain. In subsequent years, Spain had a need for trade ships to bring back the spoils of its conquests in South America. These needed to be capable of carrying 500 to 1200 tons with up to 150 people and some live animals to feed them. They had to be armed to defend themselves against pirates and British adversaries.
A revolution in naval warfare
The common naval warfare tactic at the time was ‘Ram and Board’ – overpower the enemy to capture his ship and any treasure it carried. Enter Sir John Hawkins, son of a Plymouth shipbuilding family, the first British slave trader and a civilian officer as Treasurer of the Royal Navy from 1570 to 1587. He realised the Navy needed a fleet of lighter, faster, more manoeuvrable ships with greater firepower that could stand off and pound the enemy with shells. This revolutionised naval warfare tactics and gave Britain an advantage. While Treasurer, he made annual savings, raised naval pay and increased the number of Navy ships. He was made a Vice Admiral and knighted for bravery as third in command of the British fleet during the Armada defeat. His improvement in ship design was one of the key factors in the British victory, along with bad weather and delay in the Armada meeting the Duke of Flanders’ fleet at Flanders.
The need for the original galleon design remained for a further two centuries, as the Spanish and British continued their colonisation, not just in the Americas but in the East Indies and Philippines also. The reconstruction of El Galeón Andalucía follows this design.
El Galeón Andalucía
This ship is a unique replica of the Spanish galleons that for three centuries linked Asia, America and Spain and allowed the greatest interchange of cultures, people and ideas in history. They ruled the navigation through the oceans of the world and became the only commercial and cultural vehicle between continents, being responsible for the first worldwide globalisation. El Galeón Andalucía is a three master, 50 metres long with a sail area of 962 square metres, and her home port is Seville in Andalucia.
Since her launch in 2010, she has sailed the oceans of the world, serving as a floating museum showcasing the history of Spanish maritime exploration and trade. Throughout her journeys, she participates in various international festivals and events, promoting cultural heritage and maritime history. Click to a 25 min film of an earlier journey from Cowes on this wonderful replica galleon.
Photos taken by Michel La Rue while visiting the galleon in Dover
