Trinidad (ship) facts for kids
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|} The Trinidad was a famous ship from Spain. Its name means "Trinity" in Spanish. This ship was the main one, or flagship, of Ferdinand Magellan's journey around the world. This trip was called the Magellan expedition.
Unlike another ship, the Victoria, the Trinidad did not make it back to Spain. The Victoria sailed west across the Indian Ocean. The Trinidad tried to sail east across the Pacific Ocean. It was trying to reach New Spain, which is modern-day Mexico. But it did not succeed.
The Trinidad was a type of ship called a nao. It weighed about 100 to 110 tonels. This was a way to measure a ship's size back then. The ship had square sails on its front and middle masts. It also had a special triangular sail called a lateen mizzen. When the journey began, 61 sailors were on board.
Contents
| History | |
|---|---|
 .svg){kind=small} Spain |
|
| Owner | Spanish Fleet, Armada of Castile |
| Fate | Wrecked c.1523 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | nao |
| Tonnage | 100–110 tonels |
| Complement | 61 |
The Journey Begins
After Magellan died, two ships were left: the Victoria and the Trinidad. The other ships, the Concepcion, San Antonio, and Santiago, were lost or burned. The Victoria and Trinidad reached Tidore on November 8, 1521. Tidore is one of the Moluccas, also known as the Spice Islands.
Trouble at Tidore
In mid-December, both ships tried to leave Tidore. They were loaded with valuable cloves. But the Trinidad soon started leaking very badly. Sailors checked the ship and found the problem was serious. They decided that the Victoria would continue its journey to Spain. The Trinidad would stay behind for repairs.
The Trinidad's Last Voyage
On April 6, 1522, the Trinidad finally left Tidore. It was carrying 50 tonels of cloves. Its new commander was Gonzalo Gomez de Espinosa. He was Magellan's master-at-arms, a good soldier. But he was not an experienced sailor.
Sailing into Trouble
After ten days, the Trinidad stopped at one of the Mariana Islands. Three men left the ship there. Then, the ship headed northeast. Espinosa was likely trying to find strong winds called the Westerlies. But he did not find them, probably because of the summer monsoon season.
The ship sailed north to about 42 or 43 degrees latitude. The weather became worse and worse. Many sailors got very sick with scurvy. This disease is caused by not having enough vitamin C. Sadly, 30 men died from scurvy. Only 20 sailors were left to sail the ship.
Return to the Moluccas
Five months after leaving Tidore, Espinosa decided to turn back. Two months later, the Trinidad reached the Maluku Islands again.
The End of the Trinidad
In May of the same year, a fleet of seven Portuguese ships arrived at Tidore. They were led by António de Brito. Their goal was to arrest Magellan. Espinosa sent Brito a letter asking for supplies.
Brito sent an armed group to capture the Trinidad. But they found no fight. Instead, they found a ship that was almost sinking. The crew was very sick and close to death. The Portuguese took the Trinidad to Ternate. There, its sails and ropes were removed. Later, a big storm hit the ship. The Trinidad was smashed to pieces.
Survivors of the Trinidad
Only four of the Trinidad's crew members ever made it back to Europe. One man, Juan Rodriguez, escaped on a Portuguese ship.
The other three survivors were Commander Espinosa, a sailor named Ginés de Mafra, and a Norwegian gunner named Hans Vargue. They were held captive and had to do difficult work for two years. Then, they were sent to Lisbon, Portugal, and put in prison again. Hans Vargue died in the Portuguese prison. Espinosa was last heard of in 1543. He was working as a Spanish ship inspector.
Ginés de Mafra's Story
Ginés de Mafra was the last to be set free. This was because he had many important documents from the expedition. Over time, he became a ship's pilot. This was partly thanks to his experience with Magellan's journey.
In 1541, he became a pilot for the ship San Juan de Letrán. Two years later, his ship was wrecked on an island in the Philippines. While waiting for repairs, he wrote about Magellan's expedition. His notes were not published until they were found in 1920.
See also
In Spanish: Trinidad (nao) para niños
