The voyage of the La Gran Princesa del Cielo

A shipment of unspecified merchandise from Genoa to ports in the Spanish Mediterranean. On 21 April 1719, while sailing near Almuñécar, Motril, and Castillo de Ferro, the vessel was struck by a storm characterized by strong east/south-east winds. The force of the storm tore three of the ship’s sails—specifically the two topgallant sails and the topsail—rendering the vessel partially unmanageable. The crew also discovered that the ship was taking on water, and the water being pumped from the bilge had turned black, a  sign that the cargo in the hold had likely been contaminated or damaged. Unable to round Cabo de Gata due to the adverse weather, the crew struck most of the sails and kept the ship stable, using only the foremast staysail and the storm sail, maintaining this cautionary position for three days. On 24 April, with the storm abating, the voyage resumed and the ship headed north along the coast. On 29 April, the vessel made a brief four-hour stop in Alicante to replenish fresh water supplies Taking advantage of improved weather conditions, the ship continued westward and arrived at Ibiza on 4 May to make a testimony for damages.