Santa María de Ayuda

On September 19, a hurricane trapped the ships that were anchored in the port.

According to Tristán de Luna, all the ships ran aground in the storm, except for a caravel and two boats and a frigate. Viceroy Velasco confirmed the loss of five carracks, Andonaguín’s galleon, and one of the three boats.

There is no mention of the galleon Andonaguín on the Accounting documents. However, 5 naos are listed: San Antón, San Andrés, Santa María de Ayuda, Santiago and Santo Amaro (Smith, 1995). In the documents the terms nao and navio have also been used interchangeably for the caravel named Espiritu Santo. This ship may have been the caravel described as the one that was driven ashore with its cargo intact.

While arrangements were being made for Luna’s expedition, Velasco wrote to the king to tell him that he had built six 100-ton large boats to carry 100 men and four pieces of artillery each. Apparently only 3 boats went with Luna, he testified in 1561 that all the ships anchored in the port were lost except two boats and a caravel, and a frigate which escaped from the port.

The remains found at the so-called Emanuel Point I Shipwreck or Emanuel Point II could belong to this wreck.

Read the full story in “10 notable shipwrecks”