Tag: galleons

San Salvador galleon to be launched on barge!

San Salvador, an approximate reproduction of explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo's historic galleon, undergoes final preparation at Spanish Landing in San Diego.
San Salvador, a close reproduction of explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo’s historic galleon, undergoes final preparation at Spanish Landing in San Diego.

San Salvador’s masts and bowsprit have been installed!

I swung by the amazing ship’s build site this morning after doing a couple errands in Point Loma.  Additional work was underway on the bowsprit, and the hull appears almost finished. One gentleman was painting white Roman numerals on the bow which will indicate the ship’s depth.

Complications and unforeseen difficulties have delayed the launch of the Spanish galleon, but now the full-scale, seaworthy replica of explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo’s historic ship is almost ready to be placed into San Diego Bay!

As I write this, very little updated information can be found concerning the upcoming launch of San Salvador. When the ship was weighed some months ago, it came in at 20 tons more than expected. Due to logistics, plans to use a crane to transport the ship to Broadway Pier were necessarily altered, then ultimately discarded.

I received some info on the museum’s new plan during a short conversation with Al Sorkin, aka Captain Swordfish, a few days ago while I was walking along the Embarcadero. He indicated the San Salvador will be turned, then rolled over a temporary bridge onto a barge behind Harbor Island. The barge will then transport the galleon to a local shipyard, where a crane will finally hoist San Salvador into San Diego Bay.

The plan, as I understood it, is to add ballast and complete the ship’s rigging while it’s docked by the Maritime Museum. I also heard that the museum hopes San Salvador is ready to lead other tall ships into San Diego Bay for the ceremonial parade at this year’s Festival of Sail!  That would be very cool!

Maritime Museum of San Diego volunteers work on the bowsprit, before San Salvador is eventually moved onto a barge, then hoisted at a local shipyard into the bay.
Maritime Museum of San Diego volunteers work on the bowsprit, before San Salvador is eventually moved onto a barge, then hoisted at a local shipyard into the bay.
A temporary bridge will be built in the coming weeks to allow the large San Salvador Spanish galleon to be rolled onto a barge.
A temporary “bridge” will be built across this path in the coming weeks to allow the large San Salvador Spanish galleon to be rolled onto a barge.
While the masts are now in, yards are still being prepared. As I understand it, they'll be installed along with the ballast, once San Salvador is afloat near the Maritime Museum.
While the masts are now in, yards are still being prepared. As I understand it, they’ll be installed along with the ballast, once San Salvador is afloat near the Maritime Museum.
Guys work on the bowsprit in early July 2015. The hope is that San Salvador leads this year's Festival of Sail's parade of tall ships into San Diego Bay!
Guys work on the bowsprit in early July. The hope is that San Salvador leads the 2015 Festival of Sail’s parade of tall ships into San Diego Bay!

UPDATE!

As of 7/29/15, the San Salvador is afloat on San Diego Bay! A week ago a barge transported the replica galleon to Chula Vista in our South Bay, where today it was lifted into the water. I learned this afternoon that in fact the ballast will be added and rigging completed in Chula Vista, in a place that is closed to the public. The ship will have to undergo extensive testing by the Coast Guard before being declared seaworthy. It’s still hoped everything will be completed in time for the Festival of Sail, which takes place in a little over a month!

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San Salvador galleon replica nears completion!

Seaworthy replica of galleon San Salvador built by San Diego Maritime Museum.
Seaworthy replica of galleon San Salvador built by San Diego Maritime Museum.

On my way to the Cabrillo Festival yesterday, I swung by Spanish Landing across from the airport to check out the San Salvador. As you might recall from my blog post from early last December, the San Salvador is a replica of the galleon sailed by explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo in 1542. The San Diego Maritime Museum is building it.

I was surprised to see the cool ship is nearly completed! Check out some pics I took over the surrounding fence! I spoke to a young volunteer who was working near the ship, and she told me the San Salvador is expected to launch in early 2015. The galleon will be sailing up the coast of California, recreating the historic trip by the famous explorer. And a documentary will be filmed during the voyage!

The peculiar-looking vessel will be able to navigate the open ocean, she assured me, and is ready to go today, but the folks building her are doing as much additional detail work as they can while the ship remains on dry land.

Bow modeled after historic ship sailed by explorer Cabrillo in 1542.
Bow modeled after historic galleon sailed by explorer Cabrillo in 1542.
Stern of the wooden galleon that will sail on the Pacific in early 2015.
Stern of the wooden galleon that will sail on the Pacific Ocean in early 2015.
View of the San Salvador and a huge mast from Harbor Drive sidewalk.
View of the San Salvador and a huge mast from Harbor Drive sidewalk.
People on the upper deck of the almost finished galleon.
People on the upper deck of the almost finished galleon.

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Cabrillo’s galleon San Salvador returns from past!

01 Cabrillo's flagship San Salvador being built on Spanish Landing.
Cabrillo’s flagship San Salvador being built on Spanish Landing.

Portuguese explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo discovered San Diego Bay on behalf of Spain in 1542.  His flagship was a galleon named San Salvador.  Today, almost 500 years later, a replica of the historic ship is being built on Spanish Landing, across from San Diego’s Lindbergh Field.  The ship is coming alive with the help of hard work from San Diego Maritime Museum volunteers, and it’s scheduled to be launched next year!  It will soon be another cool sight on the Embarcadero!

As you can see from this first photo, a great deal of progress has been made on the hull.  The detailed San Salvador recreation will be seaworthy and will sail out onto the broad ocean!  As it passes Point Loma, it will look like the ghost of Cabrillo has returned!  I remember seeing the hull about a year ago when there were only four or five “ribs” visible.

The public can visit the San Salvador build site.  You’ll see not only the ship, but various items of related interest, including the tools used centuries ago to construct a large galleon.

02 Another view of San Salvador ship replica build site.
Another view of San Salvador ship replica build site.

The walkway you see on the left runs the length of Spanish Landing, behind Harbor Island.

03 Maritime Museum volunteer works on San Salvador ship.
Maritime Museum volunteer works on San Salvador ship.

Several volunteers were working on the galleon.  Colorful banners were flying in the gentle sea breeze.

04 Blacksmith tools are some of the sights near the San Salvador.
Blacksmith tools are some of the sights near the San Salvador.

Lots of interesting stuff can be found about the build site.  Nobody was visiting at the moment, so this pic looks kind of empty.  I was told buses full of school kids often come by on educational field trips.

05 Volunteers work on the wooden hull of Maritime Museum's San Salvador ship.
Volunteers work on the wooden hull of Maritime Museum’s San Salvador ship.
06 Recreation of Kumeyaay village at San Salvador build site.
Recreation of Kumeyaay village at San Salvador build site.

This is the kind of primitive structure native San Diegans lived in at the time of Cabrillo’s “discovery” of the bay.

07 Working on the spars under Harbor Drive's boat channel bridge.
Working on the spars under Harbor Drive’s boat channel bridge.

This friendly lady greeted me as I walked under the Harbor Drive bridge.  She smiled for a photo.  She told me she was working on the ship’s spars for the sails.  I didn’t hear her words precisely, but I believe she’s coating them with linseed oil.

She asked if I wanted to volunteer.  A guy I met later asked the same thing!  They’d appreciate any help they can get!

08 Scraps of wood used to build replica of Cabrillo's historic ship.
Scraps of wood used to build replica of Cabrillo’s historic ship.

All this wood is being used in various ways by the shipbuilders.  It looks like a big lumber yard on the other side of Harbor Drive!

09 View of replica San Salvador from opposite side of Harbor Drive.
View of replica San Salvador from opposite side of Harbor Drive.

Cabrillo’s galleon sails in Civic Center Plaza.

cabrillo's galleon san salvador sails in civic center plaza

Walking recently through San Diego’s Civic Center Plaza, I enjoyed a variety of historical images and colorful designs inlaid in the central courtyard.

Check out Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo’s galleon the San Salvador. In 1542, the Portuguese explorer discovered San Diego Bay on behalf of Spain while searching for a mythical water route across North America.

An actual working replica of the San Salvador is being built by the San Diego Maritime Museum. One of these days I’ll walk north along the bay to Spanish Landing in order to take some pics!

Wider view of Civic Center Plaza.
Wider view of Civic Center Plaza.