Draft Of A Galleon

[JCB]

Does anyone know the draft range for 1600's spanish galleons?

[rgecy]

JCB,

Welcome to the forum. The draft would certainly depend on the size and tonage. You typically hear 12-15', but again, it all depends on the size! Certainly a smaller galleon would draft less. Ships in the early 1600s would have been smaller than ships in the later half.

Robert in SC

[JCB]

The Anchor off the ship is 11 feet long and 7.5 feet wide. Thought this info might help determin the size of the ship and then maybe we could figure out the draft from there. Thanks for your help.

Jim

[JCB]

PS The anchor appears to be from the early 1700's, not 1600's. My bad.

[ScubaDude]

Your question is hard to answer. Most of the ships in those periods were carrying at least six anchors. Your boat could be anywhere from 100 to 150 feet, and draft from 12 to 18 ft. What are you basing the age of the anchor on? Have you found any artifacts that might help? I guess my big question is are you asking the draft question so you can locate the rest of the wreck? If so sea state could have caused the wreck to ground in considerably deeper water. Help us help you. I'm not trying to sound like a wise guy, there is a lot of talent and expertise on this site.

[JCB]

I have based the age of the anchor on research i have done. Based on the fact that it had a wooden stock, which has deteriorated and the shape of the flukes. I am asking about the draft because I would like to locate the rest of the wreck. I have not foud any artifacts in the vacinity and have spent several day searching the area with metal detectors. The anchor was in about 20 feet of water, however the reef gets very shallow before your get into deeper water. The only way into the area where the anchors layed is over the top of that reef. Would it be possible for a the ship to break up comming over that reef and drop the anchor on the shallow side? Also i have not been able to locate any cannons or other anchors. Would the ever cut an anchor loose and leave it on the bottom? I figured they would salvage it if at all possible. Any help is greatly appreciated.

[ScubaDude]

To answer your first question, yes the ship could have broken up coming over the reef you mentioned and deposited the anchor on the shallow side. Ships have basically sheared in half and the upper decks continued along leaving the hull bottom and ballast behind. Was your anchor set at all or was it just lying about? If it was set the shank could be pointing toward what you seek. Your last question could it be abandoned? My guess is doubtful - To have intentionally set an anchor in a place as you describe seems unlikely. What geographic area are we talking about if you don't mind saying?

[Cablava]

This is part of the narrative written about this shipwreck by the sixth officer (1818), he clearly states the ship seperated and the upper section drove further onto the reef. I have another more detailed report stating that the upperworks drove several hundred meters further onto the reef. In this case the reef stays relativly flat for about a mile before the beach.

The captain, however, was not to be seen, and most of the others had
returned to the wreck and were employed in getting the small cutter into
the water, which they accomplished, and safely reached the shore. About
noon, when we had all left the ship, she was a perfect wreck. The whole
of the upper works, from the after part of the forecastle to the break
of the poop deck, had separated from her bottom about the upper
futtock-heads, and was driving in towards the reef. Most of the lighter
cargo had floated out of her. Bales of company's cloth, cases of wine,
puncheons of spirits, barrels of gunpowder, hogsheads of beer, &c. lay
strewed on the shore, together with a chest of tools. Finding the men
beginning to commit the usual excesses, we stove in the heads of the
spirit casks, to prevent mischief, and endeavoured to direct their
attention to the general benefit. The tide was flowing fast, and we saw
that the reef must soon be covered; we therefore conveyed the boats to a
place of safety, and filling them with all the provisions that could be
collected, proceeded to the highest sand-bank as the only place which
held out the remotest chance of security. Our progress was attended with
the most excruciating pain I ever endured, with feet cut to the bones by
the rocks, and back blistered by the sun--exhausted with fatigue--up to
the waist--sometimes to the neck in the water, and frequently obliged
to swim. Seeing, however, that several had reached the highest
sand-bank, lighted a fire, and were employed in erecting a tent from the
cloth and small spars which had floated up, I felt my spirits revive,
and had strength sufficient to reach the desired spot, when I was
invited to partake of a shark which had just been caught by the people.
Having set a watch to announce the approach of the sea, lest it should
cover us unawares, I sunk exhausted on the sand, and fell into a sound
sleep. I awoke in the morning stiff with the exertions of the former
day, yet feeling grateful to Providence that I was still alive.

[stevemc]

Yes, they often move in closer to shore from the anchor. If you look closer to shore and also further to sea, in a further outward pattern, you might find something. I know they say a loaded galleon or naos had a draft of 16 to 18 feet, but if it was rough, the troughs would make that shallower, and the peaks would carry the boat further with each wave. So as told earlier, the ballast could spill out and the boat could go further to shore. There may be several anchors in this path. Good luck, Steve.

[theGOLD]

What physical characteristics define the date of an anchor. Say as in the example that JCB gave earlier in the thread for an early 1700's anchor, and lets still take the example of a spanish galleon. I asked this same sort of question concerning the size anchor that the "el capitan" would have been carrying in the discussion "Wisdom from the wise". I ask because if I ever want to have a look for the El capitan I would have no idea what to look for in terms of approximate size/shape anchors, or cannon for that matter.

THANKS!!

-theGOLD