1
Cartagena
Dep: <26-11-1599
2
Alicante
Arr: <26-11-1599
Dep: 26-11-1599
3
Livorno
Did not reach port 4
Genoa
Did not reach port
Green markers show ports whose location in uncertain
Events Show
A
Storm, Stormy sea, Strong wind
<=>28-11-1599
B
Abandonment/loss of small boat, Storm, Stormy sea, Strong wind
02-12-1599
C
Storm, Stormy sea, Strong wind
<12-12-1599
D
Accidental Damage to Equipment, Storm, Strong wind
20-12-1599
E
Cut mast, Deliberately Beached, Shipwreck, Storm, Strong wind
22-12-1599
Red circles show the possible range that the event occured in
A Ragusean ship, nicknamed the Squarcia Bocca,was travelling from Spain to Italy in convoy with a Genoese ship. After leaving Alicante it was caught in a storm of westerly and north-westerly winds which lasted four days and forced the ship towards the Barbary coast. 60 miles from Majorca there was a second storm with winds from the West and North West. When they were near the island of San Pietro (south-west Sardignia) they decided to deploy a small boat as a sea anchor. After three hours, however, the boat was so full that, after a consultation, they decided to cut it away.
Near Monte Cristo there was a third storm with winds from the North-West and West. They sheltered in Cavo Corso (Corsica) but were unable to enter port because they did not have a plague license. They then spent three days in the Gorgona, trying to enter the port of Livorno but without success. When the wind changed they were forced back to the Cavo Corso for eight days, again without license to enter. A fourth storm then began when the ship was between Gorgona and Capraia with winds from the south and south-east. Under the strain of the storm the rudder broke and it became impossible to steer the ship.
The captain tried to use a sail on the foremast to steer the ship, attempting to guide it into the channel of Piombino but without success. They raised the 'Civadera' sail in order to help them steer [i.e. the small kite-shaped sail at the prow] but it was carried away by the wind. They found themselves under Monte Nero. Attaching a hawser to the stern helped to manage the ship a little. Being dragged ever forwards, in 18 foot of water they decided to set two anchors.
There they remained for two hours until a gale blew up from the south and broke one of the anchor chains, so they set two further anchors. The ship was dragging the anchors, however, moving ever further from Livorno. Four hours before the dawn the captain made a consultation with the crew and it was decided to cut the main mast. The ship managed to maintain its position until the dawn but then began to drag its anchor again. They found themselves fourteen miles away from Livorno and the ship touched the bottom.
Knowing that the ship was lost the captain consulted with his crew and it was decided to raise the sail of the foremast in order to beach the ship, in order that they might close the distance between them and the land in order that they might have a better chance of saving the crew and the merchandise. The ship remained in this condition, being battered by the storm for two hours, until it finally capsized and was pushed onto its side. The crew threw around 40 bales of wool into the sea at this point. Then the ship began to break up and every man sought to save himself - 13 managed to do so. The rest of the crew, ship, and merchandise were lost - it was learned afterwards that some of the merchandise had been recovered.
Freight did not count in this case (it was only demanded on recovered items).
First recorded departure date:<26-11-1599 (Cartagena)
Total risk: 81969|0|0 Scudi d'oro Toscani Total risk to the vessel:
6000|0|0 Scudi d'oro Toscani Total risk to the cargo:
78969|0|0 Scudi d'oro Toscani
Green markers show ports whose location in uncertain
Red circles show the possible range that the event occured in