Many plaques presented to the captain and crew during their sailing around the world can be seen hanging on the walls in this area. A few centuries ago they had to trust their ancient navigation instruments. The pilot was in charge of navigation and therefore the lives of the crew would be in his hands. Oceanic crossings lasted several days and he had to avoid the risks for them. The feeling of danger was very present and death lurked everywhere; it was only the skills of officers and seamen what preserved them from sinking.
But fate would not always smile on them, and many of those men and women who embarked in search of new opportunities for their lives found an anticipated yet final destination and now rest on the bottom of the sea.
That was the highest price that oceans took from Spanish galleons over several centuries. A huge lamp outstands in this deck. It would be lit at night to mark the position of each vessel in a fleet. Moreover, there was a code by which each galleon could communicate to others a change of course, a maneuver or an incident. Every galleon kept sailing during night time and only crewmembers on watch would remain active. Fires were put off to avoid any risks and the bilge water was pumped out again.
Silence surrounded the ship, only disturbed by the crackling of wood and rigging lines. During nighttime sailing, access is restricted to this deck for safety reasons. Although all galleons belonging to the Fleet of the Indies would sail together forming groups of 30 ships or more and were escorted by war ships to protect them, they had these cast iron cannons for their own protection, and in case of need they were shot by the soldiers aboard. The round wooden artifact right in the middle of this deck is a capstan, or manual winch.
It would be used to help in heavy loads maneuvering or when hoisting the anchors. The Gun deck would also accommodate most of the crew members. To that end, it should be noted that the Spanish Armada consisted of different kinds of vessels and warships, ranging from the naos, galleasses to smaller crafts.
Over time, their versatility also translated into a commercial advantage, with the some of the galleons being converted into armed coin-carrying ships of the Spanish crown — as mentioned earlier in the article see the Royal Galleon entry.
In 16th century Spanish circles, the basic rule prescribed by shipbuilders and the administration entailed how each ship should carry one person per tonelada of its weight. However, in practice, the ratio was far more skewed in favor of the cargo rather than the crew with figures of one person gente de mar or mariner per 5.
Simply put, most of the ships, including the galleon varieties, were undermanned during their cargo-carrying voyages across the Atlantic. But such ratios were only devised for the mariners or crew members of the vessel.
Added to the crew number were the other men on board, including the soldiers who were often carried in ratios of one soldier per four toneladas in the s , officers, and assorted passengers.
To that end, records of the Spanish navy from the early 17th century show that each galleon had an average of 90 to crew members, excluding the soldiers.
If we go by the aforementioned ratio-based formula, the very same vessel would have additionally carried around soldiers onboard. Furthermore, in times of war, the number of soldiers could actually be increased — thus transforming the galleon into a well-armed transport ship instead of a royal-sanctioned commercial vessel. Now while from the mathematical perspective, many of the galleons were possibly undermanned in regards to their weight, the available space for crew members onboard had always been cramped.
To provide an example, a toneladas galleon built in had a paltry average of just 15 sq ft per person on the ship. Suffice it to say, such cramped conditions spelled complications when it came to the sanitation of the galleon. For most ships of the era, much of the wastewater, sea-water, and human excrement were collected in the bilge area of the vessel — which corresponded to the space below the hold.
The predicament was even exacerbated by the rats polluting the clean food and water sources and even damaging the sails. Added to this revolting scope was the danger of other vermin, including cockroaches, fleas, and lice. Consequently, the galleons were breeding grounds for various diseases, including yellow fever and its high mortality rate exported from the Caribbean. Moreover, proper rationing onboard was a common practice in galleons, with most sailors given their daily share of the ship biscuit made of wheat, menestra — a hearty stew of chickpeas, rice, lentils, and broad beans, and rough red wine.
This was complemented by meat or cheese on occasions , onions, garlic, olives, and vinegar. Historian Angus Konstam noted how in the 16th century, the Spanish followed the naval doctrine of ship artillery being used as supporting weapons.
In essence, the Spaniards tended to give precedence to boarding actions over artillery duels, possibly because their axiom revolved around their well-trained infantry who could perform better in melee scenarios. To that end, the early galleons, while refined in their design, tended to serve as armed platforms that could provide supporting fire and resultant smoke — the latter being used for the masked maneuvers while boarding enemy ships.
However, in AD, the Spanish Armada suffered its shock defeat at the hands of the English navy and the unprecedented result pretty much underlined the tactical downside of the Spanish boarding actions. In fact, during the campaign of , the English commanders preferred to engage in artillery duels, thereby not allowing the Spanish galleons and other warships to come in close range. Thus in the following decades, the galleon design and armaments went through numerous changes that rather propelled its status as a dedicated warship rather than an armed carrier.
One of the primary design changes focused on smaller yet more maneuverable galleon types — some of which were also tasked with carrying coins from the Americas. As for the guns on board, many of the older wrought iron specimens were already replaced by bronze ordnance by AD. But after the momentous defeat of the Armada, there was an overhaul of the management of the galleon guns.
For starters, the experienced sailors, as opposed to the soldiers, were given the responsibility of operating the artillery. The scope was made more efficient with the correct labeling and storage of the different shots for the various caliber of the guns — which allowed for a streamlined approach during the high-intensity artillery duels.
The guns were also supported by larger four-wheeled carriages instead of the feeble two-wheel ones. Furthermore, boarding actions were still perceived as effective tactics, but the boarding parties were organized and prepared in accordance with their expertise ranging from melee situations, throwing grenades and incendiaries, to extinguishing fires.
Such alterations rather reflected on many of the naval battles and encounters till the late s — with the Spanish galleons showcasing their mettle often buoyed by resourceful commanders in numerous engagements both in the Americas and European waters. The Golden Age of the Spanish galleon culminated at the Battle of the Downs in , where the warships, although heavily battered, held their own against a larger Dutch fleet.
Mortality rates were high, especially in the early years of the Manila galleon trade. It was not uncommon for a ship to arrive in Manila from Acapulco with only a fraction of their crew still alive. The majority would have died from starvation, disease and scurvy. Spanish officials in Manila found it increasingly difficult to find men to crew their ships, especially for the long and arduous return voyage to Acapulco. As a result, many indios of Filipino and Southeast Asian origin made up the majority of the crew.
Less than a third of the crew was Spanish and they usually held key positions onboard the galleon. Francisco Leandro de Viana wrote in about the native seaman serving on the Manila galleons:.
Their disposition is most humble in the presence of a Spaniard, and they show him great respect; but they can teach many of the Spanish mariners who sail these seas.
It should be noted that Guam at the time was considered to part of the Philippine Islands and it is likely that someone from Guam served onboard one of the ships used in the Manila Galleon trade. Another source of crewmembers were deportees, prisoners and other undesirables from Spain and the colonies.
Many times individuals were sentenced to serve as crew on royal ships. Izquierdo was sentenced to serve on the Royal Manila Galleons for a period of ten years. He would receive rations but no pay. Because the deportees, prisoners and undesirables could come from South and Central America, Europe and Asia, the makeup of the crew was very diverse.
Also, because finding skilled Spanish seamen became a problem, some of the ships officers were foreigners. By Jillette Leon-Guerrero. Blair, Emma H. Robertson, and Edward G. Bourne, eds. The Philippine Islands, Cleveland: Arthur H. Clark Company, Driver, Marjorie G. Translated by Carla Rahn Phillips. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, Peterson, Andrew.
Schurz, William Lytle. The Manila Galleon. New York: E. Manila Galleon Crew Members Personnel of the Manila Galleons The galleons that passed through the Marianas carried scores of crew members in addition to soldiers and colonial or mission helpers on their way to the Marianas and the Philippines. Crew size Crew size depended on the size of the galleon. The highest-ranking positions on the ship were the pilot, the master and the captain.
Other positions affiliated with the galleons were: Constables were tasked with maintaining order on the ships. The General was the supreme commander of the fleet.
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