viciosa/viciosas?

[hillpirate]

While daydreaming in my office this afternoon, I noticed something on an old map I bought in London 30 years ago. SW of the Misteriosa bank and NW of Swan Island, at approx. 18 degrees N and 84.5 degrees W is what appears to be an island marked Viciosas. Would some of the more experienced adventurers on TN tell me what this is? Thanks.

hillpirate

 

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[Mackaydon]

I've been to the Swan Islands twice.
The area you area referring to is the Rosario Bank.
At this moment (and age) I don't recall there being any land on that bank.
Can you post a pic of that chart? Also its date and credits?
Most interesting!!!
Don.....

EDIT: The New Universal Gazetter of 1832 does report "small islands near the coast of Honduras. Lon. 83° 4' W. Lat. 15° 12' N." with that name (Viciosas). But that location is near Alligator Reef, just north of Cabo Gracias de Dios.

The English translation is 'vicious'.

http://books.google.com/books?id=V8...esnum=4&ved=0CB0Q6AEwAzgK#v=onepage&q&f=false

Don.......

 

[hillpirate]

Mackaydon,

Published by William Blackwood and Sons. The cartographer was Keith Johnston F.R.S.E. I have found other maps online that he did, circa 1860.

 

[Mackaydon]

Interesting:
That's the area of Rosario Bank (18°30'N., 84°04'W.), about 10 miles in extent, lies about 62 miles N of Islas Santanilla and has depths of 18 to 64m. Your chart suggests three points of land--though we found none. Swan Island does accurately show two islands (Big and Little Swan); one was occupied by Honduran Navy and an R and R facility for 'the company'; the other island was vacant.
Don........

 

[OldGold74]

Does the time period coincide with any large storms? Ive seen islands built after hurricanes one in particular after Hugo, more recently it was washed down to a coral bank with the last season, just a thought although there is a lot of fetch around the three "islands" nothing to really build sand up from or broken coral, just a thought.

 

[Mackaydon]

As noted, these islands were located and charted long before Johnston placed the same named islands on his chart--in a totally differenct area. Possibly Johnston erred in placing these islands where the Rosario Bank is.
Granted, the possibility exists that islands did once exist where the Rosario Bank is today.
Don.......

 

[OldGold74]

How deep is the water around these banks Don? If there were the right conditions say a hurricane from the wrong direction its possible the islands came and went many times, the logical explanation is a combination of both, there were small atols/islets and Johnston placed them wrong, I know some fisherman in the area of Belize that have built small islands by blocking the current there have been some studies on this.

 

[Mackaydon]

Regarding your Q. about storms in the area back in the day. Your best bet might be found in NOAA's archives that can be accessed, I believe, from here: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/
Don.......

 

[Mackaydon]

My sea charts are somewhere in my garage. As an alternative, you may wish to contact this group who, apparently, just returned from the Misteriosa Bank.
http://webcache.googleusercontent.c...f?discussionId=676+&cd=11&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us

NOAA is another great online source for that answer.
Don........