The voyage of the San Giovanni Battista

A shipment of flour loaded in Trapani and intended for Castellammare del Golfo. The vessel departed Trapani on 11 April 1720 accompanied by an English ships and two other vessels. The small convoy sailed in calm conditions during the night, reaching the waters near Castellammare del Golfo by the following morning. The vessel then was ordered to anchor beneath the coastal fortress outside the town but was not granted permission to unload the flour, so it remained at anchor under the fortress. The vessel then faced a violent storm while anchored during the night of 12–13 April, with powerful north/north-west winds and stormy seas. The crew faced mounting waves, and fearing for their lives, were compelled to abandon the vessel, which was no longer controllable under the strain of the weather. The vessel had drifted and run aground along the nearby shore by noon of 13 April. The testimony was formally declared on 20 April 1720 before a local notary in Castellammare del Golfo.