Juan Sebastián Elcano

It’s natural that in school my favorite subject was History — after all, you can’t have “history” without “story.”
While I didn’t enjoy learning dates (for that smacked of my most detested subject: math), I enjoyed reading about the early explorers who “discovered” this continent. Recently I learned the name of one Spanish explorer who wasn’t discussed in school. His name was Juan Sebastián Elcano, and the only reason I know his name is that there is a ship in the Spanish Navy named after him. I got to tour it when it was in Galveston a few weeks ago.

Elcano was commander of one of the five ships in the Spanish fleet led by Ferdinand Magellan, but Magellan got all the credit. In 1519, they set sail for the Spice Islands. Magellan was killed in a battle during that voyage, but Elcano limped into port three years and one month later with only eighteen of the original crewmen who had survived the journey. Elcano was awarded a coat of arms from King Charles the First which bears a globe of the earth with the motto “Primus Circumdedisti me,” meaning “You were the first to circumnavigate me.”

On the first weekend in April of this year, the Juan Sebastián de Elcano was in port in Galveston . It is a “Midshipmen Training Ship” for the Spanish Navy, and also plays a role as a “floating embassy” to show off a beautiful image of its motherland. This four masted ship was launched in 1927, and is one of the biggest antique sailing vessels still afloat. We weren’t able to get a good picture from a distance, so I borrowed this one from Flickr to give you a good idea of what she looks like.

First we mistook it for the Elissa, a clipper ship that is usually in port in Galveston. Then, we saw the Spanish flag flying.

The figure on the prow of the ship gleamed golden in the sun.

Can you imagine having to climb all this rigging?

It had a big steering wheel, and I had to pretend to drive it.

And, yes indeed, it had cute sailors aboard, and Mr. Tucker let me hug one of them!

He was a much better catch than the pirate I hugged the last time I was in Galveston! As an “ambassador” for Spain, he won me over! Touring the Juan Sebastián Elcano was quite a treat, and I hope one day you will see it in a port near you. I feel quite honored that I got to tour such a unique floating museum.

What did I like best about it besides the sailors (I’m kidding, Honey, if you are reading this)? Every inch of that ship was dusted and gleaming! One of the sailors told me that they polished the ship for days before bringing it into port. Can I hire those sailors to come visit my house?

Other posts you might enjoy:

1. Contemplating
2. My Galveston Weekend.
3. Spirited Away To Ghost Tours Of Galveston
4. That Woman Was Janis Joplin
5. A Wild Kid’s Festival in Galveston

Tagged as: Galveston, Gulf Coast, History, MY NECK OF THE WOODS, photographs