1641 Plate Fleet information

[hobbit]

Does anyone have any good source material on the 1641 plate fleet? Outside of what may lie hidden in the Archives of the Indes? Maybe an English or modern Spanish translation of an original source document? There is conflicting information in the popular literature. The fleet is said to have been hit by a hurricane at around 30 degrees north latitude, "after having passed the Florida reefs." Some of the ships are said to have run aground. The best document I have found ( thanks to CHAGY) is "Historia de la Armada Espanola", folio IV, chapter XVIII by Fernandez Duro. He says specifically that 3 ships capsized at sea and that four ran aground. His source documents are apparently from the Indes Archives themselves. It is particularly interesting that, supposedly, a salvage ship from Havana located one of the crippled vessels and that several of the survivors of that ship tried to swim to shore following the storm. It is difficult to believe that this would have been attempted had the vessel been located many miles offshore at the time. It seems almost a given that some of the ships, at least, did run aground. The fleet was said to have endured hurricane force winds for 3 days. Only one vessel made it back to Spain. The ships could be buried under tons of overburden. Maybe none of the wreckage ever made it to shore...maybe. The beaches from Amelia Island south to the Canaveral National Seashore have been hit by thousands and thousands of MD'ers for many years. And although most of them probably wouldn't recognize a cob or other shipwreck artifact if it came up in their scoop, at least some would. The fleet was struck at 30 degrees north latitude...just north of St. Augustine...Are there any barrier islands close to 30 degrees north latitude that have NOT been hit by metal detectorists for years? Uninhabitited islands? Islands you can only reach by boat? If there were hurricane force winds for three days, most of that time the winds would probably have been from the southeast and east. They were trying desperately to claw their way off a lee shore...they just might be in Georgia...maybe even South Carolina...If they ran aground south of Cumberland Island, they would have done so very close to shore. It is hard to believe that some significant wreckage would not have been found. Things change rapidly just to the north of Cumberland Island. Shoals extend out for miles. There are places where 10 foot depths can be encountered 3 miles from shore. Salvage operations would have been very difficult. The footprint of the wrecks might be very small...maybe a few pieces of copper sheathing, maybe some pottery shards, maybe nothing at all might make it to shore. But the wrecks could be there... because they almost certainly are NOT between Canaveral and Amelia Island. It is a really big area to start magging, but if you could narrow it down a little, it would have a big advantage over attempting recovery in Florida: you could probably get away with it. As a matter of fact, if they were found in South Carolina, you COULD get away with it. If they were found on the coast of Georgia, you would most likely have lots of privacy.

 

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[Chagy]

I only have archival sources (allot) but keep in mind the winds were blowing S to South East and La Concepcion ended up north of DR....

All the best,

Chagy........

 

[hobbit]

Thanks for the reply. I know that the Concepcion ended up "christining" the Silver Shoals, but my understanding was that it did not occur until the ship had sailed south under a jury rig for several weeks after the original storm. My understanding is also that the Concepcion drifted for several days after the original storm without steerage due to a smashed rudder and no masts. If it was in the Gulf Stream it could have drifted 300+ miles east from the original storm location in 3 days. My point really is that if 4 or more ships ran aground during the original storm that struck the fleet at around 30 degrees N. they almost had to have run aground somewhere around La Florida. The archival sources I have seen say that they DID run aground in La Florida. There is no mention of them being driven south toward the Bahamas. I would love to hear more about your source for the prevailing wind direction during the hurricane. If the winds were from the south to southeast, my theory is on solid footing. If the winds were predominatly from the southwest, not so much. But, if so, where did the hurricane drive the ships aground? If they were north of St. Augustine and the storm drove them northeast, most of them would probably have survived the storm on the open ocean and they couldn't have gone aground until Bermuda. I find that idea hard to believe for several reasons.

 

[Chagy]

1641 New Spain Fleet

Name- tons- cannons-

Capitana Santissima Sacramento -350 -26- (Florida?)
Almiranta Concepcion- 350 -20 (Wrecked in Abrojo shoals today silver shoals North of DR)
Galeon San Antonio- 300- 16 (Florida?)
Galeon Rosario- 300- 16 (Florida?)
Galeon Candelaria- 300- 20 (Florida?)
Nao Santa Ana -200- 11(Wrecked in Cuba)
Nao San Jose -200- 12 (Florida?)
Nao N.S. de la Pena de Francia -170- 10 (Made it to Cuba)
Patache Presa- 100- 6 (Florida?)

Note: one of them wrecked in Isla Catalina but don’t one which one.

Testimony of Admiral Don Juan Villavicencio who indicated that they were well out of the "Bahama Canal" when the hurricane struck.

Huracan tubo toda la flota el dia de San Miguel , 29 de Septiembre de 1641, despues de desembarcar el Canal de Bahama en la altura de 30 grados. Inserta relación de los que s e salvaron, Colec, Fern, Navarrete, VII fo 144 doc, 23.//////Ct 5175 Lib XXI fo 513 vto 21 diciembre 1641//////Ct 5190 lib XII fo 73, 7 marzo 1642//////C.C. aux oficiales reales de la Vera Cruz; Ct. 5175, lib XXII fo 184 vto, 8 octubre 1642

 

[Diver_Down]

The beaches from Amelia Island south to the Canaveral National Seashore have been hit by thousands and thousands of MD'ers for many years. And although most of them probably wouldn't recognize a cob or other shipwreck artifact if it came up in their scoop, at least some would. The fleet was struck at 30 degrees north latitude...just north of St. Augustine...Are there any barrier islands close to 30 degrees north latitude that have NOT been hit by metal detectorists for years?
...
But the wrecks could be there... because they almost certainly are NOT between Canaveral and Amelia Island.

You state with conviction that the wrecks are certainly not where you originally suggest, but I'm not so sure of your reasoning that the area has been pounded by MD'ers and most certainly would have discovered something by now. The First Coast is a very large area.

MD'ers tend to search the easiest, most accessible areas. This is proven by our inland brethren who might detect a picnic grove. The open areas will be pounded, yet the peripheral area with the brambles in overgrowth is untouched. I have one specific area in the Oldest City that I detect every couple of years. The City will "mow/clear" this wooded area every few years to keep pests (human/insects/animals) at bay. The place is a trash pit due to the homeless using it as a camp littering the place with beer caps and associated trash. But once you get past the trash, I have recovered some great finds. It used to be a picnic grove near the "beach" back in the time when Flagler hosted his wealthy guests for the winter. It has since been long forgotten.

Than being said, there are large expanses of shore that most likely never has seen a detector. Let's just consider the North Beach (North of St. Augustine). I'm linking the a pdf showing access points. ftp://ftp.bocc.co.st-johns.fl.us/gis/media/MapMart/Beach_Access_North_11x17.pdf Starting at Vilano and the St. Augustine Inlet, the area is pounded daily. But from my experience and MD'ers will wander north up to Surfside access point. Going north from there, it is a ghost town. A few morning walkers, pet walkers, very few vacation rental, and an occasional fisherman. The next visited area is the North Beach Walkover. This is another area that is never hit . It isn't convenient. There is a large pedestrian bridge to gain access. Most visitors pass it by, and consequently MD'ers don't bother as it isn't worth their effort to scrounge some pocket change. The immediate area around this access point does get hit but very infrequently. Going north, it is a ghost town again until you come to Usina Ramp. Detectorists avoid the area as the ramp is frequented by fishermen. Lots of lead weight and rusty hooks. Going north from this point is a barren wasteland that probably has never seen a detector. You have natural beach (non-renourished) from Usina extending beyond Micker's Landing to Ponte Vedra. It is very difficult to walk this beach due to the shifting sand and steep beach face. The immediate area of Mickler's Landing is detected. It is a very popular beach access. A quarter mile (more likely less) to the north and south of Mickler's it is a barren wasteland again. You will note a cluster of access walkovers north of Mickler's in Ponte Vedra. The immediate areas of these walkovers are detected. As you can surmise just on this small area, there are many miles of untouched (non-detected) beach.

I could explain other areas to the south extending to Ormond that are just as barren.

 

[hobbit]

Very interesting. If this is correct, two sailed back to Cuba and two to Hispaniola. I can only surmise that they were well offshore after the storm and made the same decision to sail south as did the Concepcion. Thanks for the references from the Archives. I need to find a paleographer who works cheap.

Did the entire fleet sail south after the storm? Or was the fleet broken-up, with some being driven north and/or west and aground in La Florida first, while those that survived were driven northeast/east by the counterclockwise flow after the passage of the storm? Or were they driven south and aground in the Bahamas by the storm to begin with? That doesn't jibe well with the accounts, though.

 

[hobbit]

Diver Down:
I am not saying they couldn't be somewhere in North Florida. That there are isolated strecthes littled detected is surely true. I also know some great finds have been made on the coast around St. Augustine. But if 4 or 5 ships ran aground south of Cumberland Island and north of the cape, they would have done so very, very close to shore. I see no reason why the subsequent deposition of shipwreck material would be substantially different from that in the 1715 fleet area. I know there were fewer ships. I know the ships were smaller, but I still think if that many ships had gone aground there would be a larger, more well known "footprint" or "footprints". They also would have been more or less right on top of the salvage base of St. Augustine, yet there is no mention of any salvage occuring. In the 1715 fleet area you can find lighter debris from the fleet even when the beaches are building. I have never detected the beaches around St. Augustine. Maybe lots of shipwreck material washes up there that I don't know about...

My main point is just this: if the fleet did break up during the storm and if some of the ships were driven west/north west and aground in La Florida, there is no reason to think that they must have done so south of the St. Mary's.

 

[Diver_Down]

Diver Down:
I am not saying they couldn't be somewhere in North Florida. That there are isolated strecthes littled detected is surely true. I also know some great finds have been made on the coast around St. Augustine. But if 4 or 5 ships ran aground south of Cumberland Island and north of the cape, they would have done so very, very close to shore. I see no reason why the subsequent deposition of shipwreck material would be substantially different from that in the 1715 fleet area. I know there were fewer ships. I know the ships were smaller, but I still think if that many ships had gone aground there would be a larger, more well known "footprint" or "footprints". They also would have been more or less right on top of the salvage base of St. Augustine, yet there is no mention of any salvage occuring. In the 1715 fleet area you can find lighter debris from the fleet even when the beaches are building. I have never detected the beaches around St. Augustine. Maybe lots of shipwreck material washes up there that I don't know about...

My main point is just this: if the fleet did break up during the storm and if some of the ships were driven west/north west and aground in La Florida, there is no reason to think that they must have done so south of the St. Johns.

Debris still washes up. People just don't know what it is. I will relay this personal experience of mine recently over this past winter. About a block north of A Street in St. Augustine Beach, a hand hewn timber washed in. I knew what it was from looking at it. A Street is one of the busiest access points in St. Augustine Beach. Lots of people had walked by this timber with only a shrug of indifference. The county parks and recreation department had to use a road grader to move it off the beach as it was a "hazard". They moved it toward Ocean Trace to the dune line. I'll try and get pictures the next time I'm over there. I laugh to think that some archie in a 100 years is going to go crazy excavating the dune looking for the rest of the shipwreck.

 

[Chagy]

Some account say they got hit by the hurricane as they were coming out of the Bahamas Channel they got separated and 4 or 5 wrecked in Florida.....

 

[hobbit]

My theory: they were coming out of the Bahama Channel and were struck by a very large, slow moving hurricane. All the accounts agree on 30 north latitude. They would have been desperate to avoid being driven south into the Bahama Channel or west into shore. They struggled to stay north and east, but the storm forced some aground in "La Florida". The Concepcion and a few others were able to keep off and, with the passage of the storm, were driven north and east by the anti-clockwise circulation of the hurricane. The accounts of the Concepcion say that they endured hurricane force winds for three days. It really is the only explanation that fits all the facts.
My main contention is that, since the fleet was struck north of St. Augustine and "well out of the Bahama Channel", they would have been well offshore when the storm struck. They would have avoided being driven south at all costs. They struggled against the storm for many hours, but some were finally driven aground. If they were "hove to", the Gulf Stream alone would have carried them substantially north. They were driven ashore in La Florida. But probably that part of La Florida north of the St. Marys River. Today it is called Georgia. Maybe even South Carolina.

 

[Chagy]

Los registros que se han recibido en la contaduria de esta casa de la flota de Nueva Espana general Roque Centeno que por aver muerto en la Vera Cruz vino a cargo del Almirante Juan de Campos, la cual salio a navegar de la ciudad de la Havana para estos reynos de Espana por septiembre de este ano 1641 y viniendo navegando la dicha flota al desemcocar de la canal con gran tiempo que dizen le dio, se separaron urcas, naos de otras.

They did get hit had as they were coming out of the Channel and got separated......

 

[hobbit]

Chagy,
Thanks for all the help on this one...I gotta go do some more digging...literally and figuratively...

 

[Chagy]

dans le bilan de septembre 1641, le naufrage de 5 navieres au large des cotes de Floride, de 2 autres, au large de Cuba

 

[hobbit]

dans le bilan de septembre 1641, le naufrage de 5 navieres au large des cotes de Floride, de 2 autres, au large de Cuba

What did the French know and when did they know it? I am loving this...keep the hints coming...

 

[Chagy]

No this came from the Archives in Spain and translated to French.....

 

[hobbit]

"en el ano 1640 naufrago en el canal de las bahamas un convoy espanol que viajaba desde la habana hacia espana. la principal perdida experimentada fue la naive almiranta de la flota de plata, comandada por jeronimo sandoval.
en 1641 desaparecieron al norte de santa clara, por el canal de las bahamas, once buques de la flota de plata, comandada por don roque centeno"

Translation: "In 1640 shipwrecked in the Bahamas Channel Spanish convoy traveling from Havana to Spain. the main loss was the naive experienced admiral of the fleet of silver, led by Jeronimo Sandoval . disappeared in 1641 north of Santa Clara, through the channel of the Bahamas, eleven ships of the Silver Fleet, commanded by Don Roque Rye "


29. SANTA CLARA DE TUPIQUI

Santa Clara was established in 1595, presumably by Fray Bias Rodriguez, who was killed there in 1597. As noted in item #10, Tupiqui was the site of Jesuit activity in 1569-1570. In 1595 Tupiqui was on the mainland three leagues north of Tolomato. During his 1597 punitive expedition, Governor Canzo went to Tupiqui from the Asopo mission on St. Catherine's Island and found the church, friary, and council house all burned. Lanning remarked that his above-mentioned "Mansfield Place" has "sometimes been mistakenly identified as the Tupique mission" because the old Tupiqui mission of 1597 was not rebuilt, arid the chief of Tupique for want of a church in his own community, repaired to the new Tolomato mission in the village of Espogache. Mary Ross, however, noted that when Canzo made his 1603 visitation of Guale Province, after he left Talaxe the next council was held at Tu piqui where Mico Espagache (sic) and Chief Tupiqui readily promised to rebuild their old town. Ross seems to imply that the two towns had occupied the same site in 1597, and at the very least she seems to state that during this rebuilding Tupiqui and Espogache were melded. In her account of the bishop's visitation three years later, she spoke of the bishop's coming to a mainland town, the residence of Chief Tupiqui and Mico Espogache, six leagues north of Talaxe. Tupiqui in 1606, Ross noted, lacked a resident friar, being served by Fray Diego Delgado who was based at Talaxe. More recently Grant Jones observed that the meetings between the mico of Espogache and Tupiqui for the restoration of friendly relations with the Spaniards were usually held at Tupiqui possibly because of its greater accessibility. Jones seems to imply that the sites of Tupiqui and Espogache were distinct. In any event, Lanning not withstanding, a church presumably was built in Tupiqui by 1616 as Fray Antonio de San Francisco was stationed at the convent of Santa Clara de Tupiqui in that year. Tupiqui does not appear on the 1655 list or on either of the lists for 1675. This probably indicates that the people of Tupiqui had left the mainland for one of the island missions. At the end of 1677, Ana Estasia, mica of Tupiqui, and Alonso, her nephew and heir, were living at San José de Zapala. That they may not have been accompanied by many of their Indians is suggested by the mica request that the people of Zapala be required to sow a field for her as her vassals. Bolton affirmed that during the turmoil of the early 1680s many of the Tupiqui were among the Guale and Yamasee who fled to British territory at that time. Some Tupiqui remained loyal nonetheless, as a mission identified as Asao or Tupiqui that possessed twenty-five families appears on the 1689 mission list. These Tupiqui were already domiciled, probably, at the new Santa Clara de Tupiqui mission at the northern end of Amelia Island that appears in the 1695 visitation record. No site has been identified definitely as that of the Tupiqui of the 1595-1616 listings, but the site may be one of a number that have been found in what is believed to have been the territory of the Espogache-Tupiqui chiefdom around the estuaries of the South Newport River.

​

lO. TUPIQUI

A Gualean village on the Georgia coast, was the scene of ten months of missionary effort by Brother Villareal, who had labored earlier at Tequesta and Carlos. He was not accompanied by soldiers and labored in Tupiqui without success until mid- 1570. There is no mention of structures associated with his work there. The Franciscans established a mission named Santa Clara de Tupiqui in this village late in the sixteenth century and some of that mission's people survived until the end of the mission period. However in the 1680s the surviving Tupiqui settled on the northern end of Amelia Island in a mission still named Santa Clara de Tupiqui.​

 

[hobbit]

"El día veintitrés de julio del año de 1641 zarpó la escuadra y la flota, dando
aquella más protección a ésta y sabiendo ya con certeza que en la fecha citada
de zarpar don Roque Centeno ya había fallecido, pusieron rumbo a la Habana,
donde después de cargar el numerario se hicieron de nuevo a la mar los treinta y
un buques que la componían siendo el día veinte de septiembre del mismo año, con
rumbo al canal grande de Bahamas lugar de no pocos siniestros por causa de los
huracanes.
A los pocos días de zarpar rolaron los vientos amenazadores, que en pocas horas
se convirtieron en huracanados, lo que deshizo el convoy y disperso a la
escuadra, (por datos posteriores se sabe), que como siempre unas lograron
salvarse y otras fueron arrojadas a las costas de Florida (3); de las naves se
abrieron varias, quedaron desarboladas otras, tres se fueron a pique y otras
cuatro fueron a dar contra unos acantilados donde quedaron totalmente
destruidas.

Una de las que peor lo pasó fue la almiranta de la Flota, que estaba por capitán
de ella don Juan Villavicencio, que llegó a tirar al mar toda su artillería
incluidas las anclas aliviando así de pesos el buque, al final para poder
arribar cortó su palo mayor, trabajando denodadamente consiguieron aproar a la
isla de la Española, donde consiguieron varar en la playa de los Abrojos, de los
más de quinientos hombres de su dotación no llegó a doscientos los que salieron
vivos de este desastre climatológico.

De la escuadra, solo se perdió una nao y la nombrada Nuestra Señora de la Peña
de Francia, del resto unos consiguieron arribar de nuevo a la Habana y otros
directamente a la Península. En cuanto a las pérdidas de la Flota que ya se han
comentado, siguió persiguiéndoles la mala suerte, ya que el galeón San Pedro y
San Pablo capitana de ella consiguió arribar a la barra del Guadalquivir, pero
por llegar abierta por completo allí mismo se fue a pique, el día dieciocho de
diciembre del mismo año.
De los buques hundidos en las costas se recuperaron al año siguiente la mayor
parte del situado que transportaban y solo no se pudo recuperar, los que se
fueron a pique en profundidades mayores.
Sabemos que falleció en Veracruz, en la primavera del año de 1641. Dándose el
caso, que fue tanta su dedicación a su Rey y a España, que en varias ocasiones
tuvo que pagar de su peculio particular las reparaciones de los buques, lo que
le llevó a la ruina total y en este estado dejó a su familia al fallecer, ya que
les fue embargada hasta la casa, por lo que tuvieron que buscar donde vivir
entre los familiares."

Translation:
"On 23 July 1641 sailed from the squadron and the fleet, giving
that more protection to it, and knowing now for certain that on the date given
to sail Roque Centeno was already dead, headed to Havana
where after loading the cash is made back to the sea thirty-
ships which composed a being the day on September 20 of that year, with
large channel toward the Bahamas instead of not a few casualties because of the
hurricanes.
A few days of sailing winds rolaron threatening, in a few hours
became hurricane, which broke the convoy and dispersed to the
square (for further details known), who managed our usual
saved and others were thrown into the coasts of Florida (3), of the ships
opened multiple, were treeless other three foundered and other
four ended up against a cliff which were completely
destroyed.


One of the worst what happened was the flagship of the fleet, which was by Captain
it don Juan Villavicencio, who came to jettison all their artillery
including anchors pesos relieving the ship at the end to
arrive cut her mainmast, NOSE got to work hard to
Spanish island, where they got beaching of the Thistles, the
more than five hundred men in his crew did not reach two hundred who came
living in this climate disaster.


From the top, only lost one ship and named Nuestra Señora de la Peña
France, the rest managed to reach around back to Havana and other
directly to the Peninsula. As for the losses of the fleet already
commented, chasing the bad luck continued, as the galleon San Pedro and
San Pablo captain arriving she got to the bar of the Guadalquivir, but
come completely open right there foundered on the eighteenth day of
December of that year.


Sunken ship off the coast were recovered the following year most
carrying part of the set and just could not be retrieved, which
foundered at greater depths.
We know who died in Veracruz, in the spring of 1641. Realising the
case, which was as much his dedication to his King and Spain, which on several occasions
had to pay out of his own particularly repair of ships, which
led to his ruin in this state and left his family to death, as
I was seized to the house, so had to find a place to live
among relatives."

Emphasis mine



"Georgia, Georgia,
The whole day through
Just an old sweet song
Keeps Georgia on my mind."
---Ray Charles

"In my mind I'm gone to Carolina
Can't you see the sunshine?
Can't you just feel the moonshine?
Ain't it just like a friend of mine
To hit me from behind?
Yes, I'm gone to Carolina in my mind"
---James Taylor

 

[Chagy]

Great Job!!!! Very good!!!!

 

[hobbit]

"Anchoring on a lee-shore, and cutting away masts.

When it is impossible to "claw off" a lee shore, and carrying canvass is of no avail, the adoption of the following practice is best calculated to recover the ship from her perilous position. After preparing cables and anchors, so as to be let go alternately, and dropped at a little distance from each other, in a line parallel to the shore, proceed thus. Furl, the square-sails as quickly as possible, and brace all the yards full; set all the fore-and-aft storm-sails; put the helm up, so as to keep way on the ship, as the cable of each anchor runs out in succession. The anchor pertaining to the cables on the weathermost hawse-holes, should be dropped first. Give the ship as much cable as her situation will permit, being careful that they all bear an equal strain. If you have not previously had time to make the ship snug aloft, do so immediately. Should the wind increase in violence, so as to endanger the ship driving on shore, her masts had better be cut away immediately. Vessels obliged to anchor on a lee-shore, in very exposed and dangerous situations, in gales of wind, not unfrequently defer cutting away their masts, until it is too late to save the vessel. I much fear that merchant seamen are often obliged to consider too much about the expense of replacing their spars, and loss of freight to the owners, at the very time that the axes should be at work in cutting away the masts. It should be borne in mind, that a square-rigged vessel will not generally ride above half the strain on her cables after her masts are cut away. When near a rocky lee shore, it is too late to bring with much hope soafety, after the vessel has once commenced to drive; however, even in such cases, cutting away the masts has svaed many vessels. If all your anchors are down, and cables out, bearing an equal and very heavy strain, with wind and sea increasing, a dangerous rocky shore, and death staring you in the face, if the vessel drive, cut away your masts immediately; a moment's delay may be fatal to ship, cargo, and crew. I am under an impression, that many vessels, lives, and cargoes, are lost yearly through neglecting this precaution. I do not advocate cutting away the masts except in extreme cases; but when these cases do occur, the officer must be quick in his decision, and prompt in execution, always being careful to keep the lower stays, and as many of the shrouds on each mast fast, as will insure their falling on the sides you wish, having previously passed the ends of a hawser between the lanyards of the rigging to be kept fast; this hawser well boused taut, and secured, will enable you to cut away the rigging better afer the falling of the masts."
Francis Liardet: Professional Recollections on Points of Seamanship, Discipline, &c.
William Woodward, Portsea, 1849. 8vo, frontisp., (6), x, 319 pp, 1 col. plate of signals

This quote is from a work of 1849, but the same principles would apply to a 17th century galleon/nao. Several accounts of the wreck of Concepcion state that the Admiral ordered her masts cut away during the original storm near "La Florida." It took her over a month to sail back to Hispaniola under a jury rig. Several writers have posited the argument that the missing ships of the 1641 fleet sank in "deep water" during the storm. There can be only one reason for Concepcion to take the drastic step of cutting her masts: she was aground or very close to running aground. Did all of the missing ships founder in deep water? Or did some make it to shore like Concepcion?

 

[hobbit]

That Concepcion was able to "get off" her grounding or near grounding may have some important implications for reconstructing conditions during the hurricane of 1641. There is the possibilty that a large storm surge deposited the wrecked ships well inshore. I think the fact that Concepcion was able to lighten and escape make this unlikely. One could also conclude that this makes it less likely that the storm approached the coast from the east and made landfall in the area of Concepcion. It seems more likely that the hurricane was moving north through the Bahama Channel and skirted the coast in the area of the wreck. This jibes well with historic storm tracks in the area.