"We are an unimaginative lot when it comes to naming things." The title of this article is conjectural. |
- "Be we on the proper course, Gibbs?"
"Aye, it be proper. There's your proof."
"...The Spaniard." - ―Hector Barbossa and Joshamee Gibbs
This small fleet of the Spanish Armada consisted of three galleons that operated in the Seven Seas. Its most notable task was participating in the quest for the Fountain of Youth, led by King Ferdinand's most trusted agent, known only as The Spaniard.
History[]
Voyage to the Fountain of Youth[]
- "The Fountain of Youth...How soon can you sail?"
"With the tide." - ―King Ferdinand and the Spaniard
In 1750, the three galleons were docked in Cádiz when King Ferdinand's most trusted agent, The Spaniard, came onboard with a loyal crew and ordered to set sail. With the first tide in the morning, the Spaniard's fleet sailed into the unknown.[2]
The Spaniard's mission was to find the legendary spring known as the Fountain of Youth. He knew the route to the legendary spring because he had gained possession of the logbook of the Santiago, which belonged to Ponce de León, the conquistador who discovered it two centuries earlier. During the voyage, the Spanish fleet encountered the HMS Providence, pride of the British Royal Navy, whose commander, Captain Hector Barbossa, was also sent to find the Fountain. Though the Spanish heavily outnumbered and outgunned the British, the Spaniard decided they posed not so big a threat to his mission, and so his fleet passed them by without fire. Thanks to the information from the logbook, the Spaniard's fleet successfully led through its proper course. The ships were able to evade the danger of a mermaid attack in Whitecap Bay, and dropped anchors off the coast of the island where the Fountain was located.[2]
After the Fountain of Youth was destroyed, the Spaniard and his men returned to their ships in victory, and made way for their home port.[2] The further fate of the fleet is unknown.
Design and appearance[]
These ships were three of the standard Spanish galleons of the 18th century. They were heavily armed with cannons for protection against pirates and hostile navies of other European countries. Despite their size, these ships were very fast, which was proven when passing the HMS Providence, one of the fastest ships of the British Royal Navy. Their sails were decorated with the emblems of the Spanish monarchy: the great Catholic cross, the lion from the Coat of arms of Castile and León, and the Coat of arms of the Holy Roman Emperors, which made them very recognizable on the high seas.[2]
Behind the scenes[]
- The Spaniard's fleet has no official name, only being referred to as "three Spanish galleons" in the Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides screenplay by Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio, the junior novel,[1] and visual guide.[3]
- It is unknown which ships portrayed three galleons in On Stranger Tides, or if any ships were used at all.
- All the galleons bear a strong resemblance to the ship replica Neptune.
Appearances[]
- Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
- Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (junior novelization) (First appearance)
Sources[]
Notes and references[]
Spanish Royal Navy ships in Pirates of the Caribbean | ||
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