Shipwreck information

[Bill]

Following is a list of "supposed" shipwrecks that came from private files and libraries found in a South American country. Does anyone have information on any of these that could substantiate the claims?

"San Rafael" sank 1738 near Isla de Gato

"Santo Domingo" sank 1679 north of Cabo de San Juan

"Castellana" sank 1698 Bahamas

"Gallego" sank 1670 Bahamas

"San Nicolas" sank 1736 near Tortuga Island, Haiti.

 

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[Bobadilla]

Hello Bill,

"San Nicolas" sunk between Manzanillo and Montecristi, which is really quite close to Tortuga, because this former pirate island is only 56 miles from Montecristi. Wreck of "San Nicolas" was never found thought it was said that it sunk in shallow waters.

I hope that we talk here about the same ship. As you probbably know very well, there many galleons had the same name like for example, "San Jose", "San Antonio", "Nuestra señora de la Concepcion" and so on. Some of them, of the same name, were sunk in different places and in different years in the Caribbean but all of them were loaded with treasures.

Regards
Lobo

 

[Bill]

Lobo,
The information that I have on the San Nicolas shows a map of the northwest end of Tortuga, and the San Nicolas lies nortwest of that. However, there is no shallow water in that area, as indicated by the info. Supposedly the ship was attacked by pirates, but sank before she could be taken. There is a cove on the northwest end of Tortuga that is named Treasure Cove (in French), and I found wreckage at the mouth of the cove in 1974. Never did get a chance to investigate it at length.
Bill

 

[Bobadilla]

Hi Bill,

As I wrote you, it could be different treasure galleon. The ship I mentioned went down in the Bay of Montecristi in the first half of 18th century, I have not found the exact year so far. So there is a high probability that you are right and "your" San Nicolas lies close to the shores of Tortuga. There are so many shipwrecks around this pirate's island! I was always planning small diving expedition there but it is too dangerous there in these days.... May be sometimes in the future. I went couple of times to the south waters of Haiti. By the way, in which depth did you find the wreckage you mentioned in your post? 1974, it was more than 30 years ago!

Regards
Lobo

 

[Bill]

Interesting diving around Tortuga. We were doing a lobster survey for the gov't, and got to dive the entire coast of Tortuga. Only saw the one wreck, but I found an anchor that was so large, you could drive a Volkswagen thru the ring. The wreck that was in Treasure Cove was in about 30' if I remember correctly. At the entrance to Cap Haitien, we found a French wreck with 90 cannons on it.

 

[Bobadilla]

Hi Bill,

Thanks for your info. Regarding the wreck in the front of Treasure Cove in Tortuga, you mean 30 feet of water or 30 meters? The anchor with huge ring was no doubt one of the five obligatory galleon main anchors. I found two of them in Dominican waters in last years.
Bill, I have a question for you. You have never thought to go back to Haiti to explore these interesting wrecks?

Regards
Lobo

 

[Bill]

Lobo,
The Tortuga wreck is in 30 feet of water, and no I don't intend to return to Haiti until some stability returns to that country. The Bahamas or Dominican Republic looks more promising. Research is turning up quite a few wrecks around the DR.

 

[Bobadilla]

Hi Bill,

I live, work and dive in Dominican Republic for many years and shipwrecks in Dominican waters are my great hobby. Are you interested in any wreck in particular in our waters?

Lobo

 

[Emma]

Hi Bill

I have the "El Gallo" lost Bahamas in 1665 (might be a mispelling of Gallego)
"Chateau de Bayonne" (could be the French name of "Castellana") lost Bahamas 1698 but later refloated.

Emma

 

[Bill]

Emma,
Thanks for the information. This is what I have on the Castellana sunk in 1698. She was in a flota of three galleons when attacked by French pirates (Chateau de Bayonne?). She sank near the Baha de Colon, in the Bahamas, but the pirates were only able to recover 18,000 pesos. This happened in April of 1698. Do you have an area in the Bahamas for the sinking of Chateau de Bayonne?
Bill

 

[Emma]

Hi Bill,

I made a mistake "Chateau de Bayonne" was lost in Caicos passage in November 1697 (Manuscript sources). Another printed ressource (Vichot "répertoire des navires de guerre français") says at Santo Domingo.
So I checked my Santo Domingo files and it says that in 1697 the Almiranta of Don Andres Del Pez’ squadron was lost during a fight against a French squadron in Santo Domingo.
I first though that "Castellana" could have been the "Chateau de Bayonne" as "Castel" in Spanish means "Chateau" in French, and also because it was no more the war between Spain and France at this time, even if some trouble still, and we sometimes see French vessel bearing a Spanish name.

I know Bahia de Colon in Panama but where is it in Bahamas ?

Emma

 

[Bobadilla]

Hello Emma,

I would like to ask you, if you have some knowledge about French man-of-war lost in 1801 in the Bay of Montecristi on the northern coast of Hispaniola? Any information would help..... Thanks in advance.

Best regards
Lobo

 

[Emma]

Hi Bobadilla,

I have several French ship lost in 1802 and only one in 1801 "Union" but I am not sure she was lost in Santo Domingo or Haïti.
If you have the name of the ship, it would help.

Emma

 

[Bobadilla]

Hi Emma,

The name of the ship was "La Viette". Does it help?

Regards
Lobo

 

[Emma]

;-) Sure it helps !
I heard she was lost all hands at the end of the year 1802, departed the Havre in September 1802, and I also think that she may not exist.
Do you have manuscript or printed source confirming its loss ?

I just found that on the web:

"Dr. Spooner is founder and President of the Anglo~Danish Maritime Archaeological Team (ADMAT), a non-profit organization working on the preservation of historic shipwrecks in the Caribbean. He has directed numerous excavations and surveys including, the White House Bay Wreck (1780s), La Viette (1802), Faience Wreck (1760), Le Casimir (1829), Carron Wreck (1802) Tile Wreck (1690) Musket Ball Wreck (1790) and the survey for Santiago (1582) and the lost 1563 Spanish Fleet" --> [email protected]

He can help better than me.

Emma

 

[Bobadilla]

Hi Emma,

Thanks for your help. Dr. Spooner has been working in the area together with salvage company North Caribbean Research couple of years ago. As I know they were also looking, among the others, for the wreck of mystical French ship "La Viette". They have not found it so far though it is know approximate area of sinking. Dr. Spooner is very open and nice person, expert and professional in all the meanings. I am writing another historical book about shipwrecks around Dominican Republic, that's why I am looking for any possible data or information. It is possible that not only one but more French ships went down in the same area between 1801-1802. That was the reason I want to be sure.
Thanks anyway, Emma!

Best regards
Lobo

 

[Bill]

Lobo,
I found a French shipwreck at the mouth of Cap Haitien, Haiti in 1974. She had 90 guns and was a very early 1800's wreck. I believe that she may have been carrying guns for the Citadel, and all were not hers. She also was carrying huge cast iron cauldrons that I suspect were for the sugar cane fields. Not much left in the way of identification. Maybe someone else can help.
Bill