The voyage of the Nostra Signora dell’Acqua Santa e San Pasquale

A shipment of wheat, pistachios, silk, and other goods loaded in Palermo and bound for Livorno and Genoa. The vessel left Palermo on 20 October 1720 with favorable winds, but by dawn the following day, the winds shifted to the west/north-west forcing the crew to switch from Latin to square sails. Unable to return to Palermo and hindered in its forward progress, the ship remained at sea, and a later shift to strong south-west winds compelled the crew to seek refuge at Termini Imerese on the evening of 22 October. Fearing further deterioration in weather and fearing shallow anchorage, the crew unloaded 21 sacks of pistachios and 4 bales of silk into an on-shore warehouse. The storm persisted for two days, delaying departure until the morning of 25 October, when the sea calmed and the cargo was reloaded and as the vessel attempted to depart, the crew discovered the stern hawser had been cut in two. After leaving Termini Imerese the ship was becalmed by weak winds and anchored at Solanto, remaining there overnight until the morning of 26 October, when favorable winds allowed resumption of the voyage. The vessel then encountered a violent storm with north/north-west winds on 28 October, while sailing roughly 75 km south of Ponza. The force of the storm caused severe pitching, flooding of the bilge, and continuous water ingress. The crew decided to turn back toward Palermo and worked constantly to bail out water. The storm reached its peak around 18:00 with unrelenting winds and stormy seas, and fearing for their lives, the crew decided to jettison cargo to lighten the ship, discarding first the onboard furnace, then a chest containing of olives, approximately nine 'salme' of wheat, and finally eight sacks of pistachios. The vessel arrived safely back in Palermo around 16:00 on 29 October where the captain made a formal testimony the following day.