Spanish ship Rayo (1749) facts for kids
The plans of the 80-gun Rayo
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Quick facts for kids History |
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| Name | Rayo |
| Ordered | 1746 |
| Builder | Royal Dockyard, La Habana |
| Laid down | 1 January 1747 |
| Launched | 28 June 1749 |
| Commissioned | 31 January 1751 |
| Fate | Wrecked 26 October 1805; wreck burned 31 October |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | 80-gun Rayo-class ship of the line |
| Tons burthen | 1,750 bm |
| Length | 55 m (180 ft 5 in) |
| Beam | 15.8 m (51 ft 10 in) |
| Draught | 8.68 m (28 ft 6 in) |
| Sail plan | Full-rigged ship |
| Complement |
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| Armament |
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The Rayo was a powerful warship of the Spanish Navy. It was an 80-gun ship of the line, which means it was a large sailing ship built for battle. Its name, Rayo, means "Thunderbolt" in Spanish. Like many Spanish ships not named after a saint, it also had a special second name: San Pedro Apóstol (Saint Peter the Apostle).
Later, the Rayo was rebuilt to be even stronger. It became a three-decked ship with 100 guns! This mighty ship then took part in the famous Battle of Trafalgar during the Napoleonic Wars. After the battle, it was badly damaged and lost its masts. It was later captured by a British ship, HMS Donegal. Sadly, the Rayo ran aground in a storm and was destroyed.
Contents
The Ship Rayo
Building and Early Life
The construction of the Rayo began in 1747. It was built in Havana, Cuba. Another ship, the Fénix, was built at the same time. The Rayo was ready and launched into the water in the summer of 1749.
It officially joined the navy in January 1751. However, it was hard to find enough sailors to crew such a large ship. It took another year to gather the full crew. Finally, the Rayo left Havana for Cádiz, Spain. It sailed with a crew of 453 men. It also carried sugar and timber as cargo. The ship then stayed in Cadiz for more preparations.
In 1765, the Rayo was part of a large fleet. This fleet sailed from Cádiz on May 17. It stopped briefly in Cartagena, Spain. Then it sailed to Genoa in Italy. The fleet's mission was to drop off Princess Luisa María Teresa de Parma. It also picked up Princess Maria Luisa of Spain. The fleet returned to Cartagena on August 11.
After this, a smaller group of ships was formed. The Rayo was part of this group. It sailed from Cartagena on August 23. Its job was to escort two smaller ships back to Cádiz. In 1769, the Rayo was taken out of active service. It stayed in Cádiz for maintenance. During this time, it was cleaned and repaired.
A Big Change: The Rebuild
In 1803, the Rayo went into the Cartagena Dockyard. Here, it underwent a major rebuild. Shipbuilders added a complete third deck to the ship. This made it much larger and more powerful. It also meant it could carry more guns. When it was finished, the Rayo had 100 guns! This was a huge upgrade from its original 80 guns.
The Battle of Trafalgar
The Rayo took part in the famous Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. This was a very important naval battle. During the fight, the Rayo was badly damaged. It lost its masts, which are the tall poles that hold the sails. This meant it could no longer sail properly.
A few days after the battle, the Rayo tried to go back to sea. It wanted to help get back some ships that the British had captured. But during this effort, it was captured by the British ship HMS Donegal. The British put their own crew on board the Rayo.
However, a big storm hit on October 26. The Rayo, with its British crew, ran aground. This means it got stuck on the seabed or shore. It was wrecked by the storm. A few days later, on October 31, British sailors set fire to its broken hull. This destroyed the ship completely.
See also
In Spanish: Rayo (1751) para niños
