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Date

1589

Ship type

Nao

Cause

A hurricane

Command

Álvaro Flores de Quiñones

Captain

Domingo Laínez Ome

Shipwreck zone

Old Bahama Channel, The Bahamas

Port of departure

Havana (CUB)

Destination

Spain

Cargo

Silver ingots , and gold bullion

Philip II ordered the Tierra Firme Fleet, commanded by Captain General Alvaro Flores de Quiñones, and the Nueva España Fleet to meet in Havana and travel together in convoy to Spain. Around 75 to 100 ships sailed from that port, but when they reached the entrance to the Old Bahama Channel on September 9, it was not long before a hurricane struck. The nao Santa Catalina had a capacity of 350 tons.