ARCHIVED - Nao Victoria replica ship in Puerto de Mazarron April 7 to 11

Those interested can visit the ship in the Puerto Deportivo Puerto de Mazarrón between April 7 and 11

The Nao Victoria, a faithful replica of the first ship to circumnavigate the world between 1519 and 1522, will be docked in the Puerto de Mazarrón and open for visits between the 7 and 11 April 2021.

The vessel is embarking upon a spring tour along the Spanish coastline as part of activities to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the first round-the-world-trip, the greatest sea adventure of all time.Visits will be possible between 10:00 and 20:00 with tickets priced at 5 euros for adults, 3 for children or 12 euros for a family available via https://tickets.fundacionnaovictoria.org/list/otherProducts

(if link not working go to www.fundacionnaovictoria.org)

Tickets will also be sold on the dockside for those who have not pre-booked.

It is advisable to pre-book tickets if possible due to the limited numbers permitted on board

Nao Victoria: a faithful replica of the first vessel to sail around the world
The vessel is a replica of the first vessel to circumnavigate the Earth, a voyage overseen by Fernão de Magalhães (Magellan in English) covering 45,000 miles and lasting for 3 years between 1519 and 1522.

The Victoria is a carrack, and formed part of a 5-ship expedition which set off to map a potential trade route for Spain in an era when the spices trade was just beginning and European powers were jostling to enrich themselves. More than half of the route was unmapped and these vessels were charged with preparing the routes, mapping the coastlines and establishing a path which Spanish vessels could follow.

Financed by Carlos V, the journey began with five vessels, the other four being the Trinidad (110 tons, crew 55), San Antonio (120 tons, crew 60), Concepcion (90 tons, crew 45), and Santiago (75 tons, crew 32). But whereas 265 men began the journey, only 18 returned alive and the Victoria (85 tons, 45 crew) was the only vessel to complete the route. She’s believed to have been broken up after the journey, returning with a hold full of spices but bailing water constantly and her sails in tatters.

During the voyage three of the ships were wrecked or scuttled and the San Antonio abandoned the voyage, returning alone to Europe. The captaincy of the Victoria changed several times: following a mutiny the original captain, Luis De Mendoza, was executed, along with the captain of the Concepción.

The captain of the San Antonio was left marooned on the coast and Duarte Barbosa, who had helped Magellan to quell the mutiny, became captain of the Victoria.

Magellan was himself killed during the battle of Mactan and Barbosa took control of the expedition, but then he died when the Rajah of Humabon in Cebu (Philippines) invited the captains and crew of the visiting ships to attend a banquet in honour of the King of Spain and promptly poisoned most of his guests or took them for ransom.

Pilot João Carvalho, who had survived the trap, then became the captain of "Victoria," but he was then deposed and Juan Sebastián Elcano became captain and completed the journey.

The crew who survived were a mixed bag of nationalities, survivors of the four vessels which began the journey, but most of this is known only because one of them, Antonio Pigafetta, kept detailed journals documenting the voyage and provided the story of what had occurred whilst at sea.

The vessel is a faithful replica of the original and was built using oak and pine, the only significant difference being that modern paints and waterproofing materials were used. Between 2004 and 2006 she completed her own round-the-world trip, stopping in 17 countries along the way.

She’s a surprisingly small vessel at 60- 70 feet and it’s astonishing to think that this housed 45 crew.

Between 15 and 20 mariners are required to sail the vessel, and the remainder were military soldiers who provided vital support on dry land, filling up with spices and stocking up on supplies.

Most of the crew died from malnutrition, so finding fresh water and fresh food was always top priority for vessels approaching land, but local resistance was often encountered, hence the importance of the military contingent.

The vessels carried little in the way of armaments and no large cannons, as in this era piracy was virtually unknown and the greatest threats to the crew were malnutrition and disease.

The crew would have all lived on the top deck, with little shelter, as the hold was reserved for the precious cargo and supplies. The vessel feels crowded with 10 people on board, so it’s difficult to imagine what life would have been like with 45 crew on a 3-year journey!

The Nao Victoria continues to sail from port to port with around 15 crew, using only sail power, on a mission to educate and encourage an interest in sailing and the history of Spain. All the sailing is manual, with 12 sailors required to unfurl the massive mainsail, weighing more than 1200 kilos and displaying the cross of Santiago due to the original links with the religious-military order of the same name.