A Spanish sailing ship? In Cuba?
We had no idea what a special event was unfolding in the Havana harbor…right before our eyes. And our ears!
The Juan Sebastian de Elcano Tall Ship
The Juan Sebastian de Elcano tall ship fired artillery salvoes as it entered the harbor. And suddenly cannonfire erupted from the ancient San Carlos de la Cabana Fortress across the bay! (We later learned that the cannon blasts signaled a welcome to the ship.) That’s when we began to realize this was no ordinary ship arrival.
We watched as two tugboats gently nudged the vessel toward the dock.
That’s when I saw the Cuban officials standing at attention on the dock where they were joined by representatives of the Spanish Embassy in Cuba. (It was a really big deal!)
They were waiting to welcome the sailors to Havana…ninety years after that same vessel first sailed into that harbor! There was even a brass band to serenade the 250 Spanish sailors!
My research tells me the Juan Sebastian de Elcano is the third largest tall ship in the world! You can read more about it right HERE.
If only we had known in advance that the ship would be in port during our stay. My research after we returned home revealed that the vessel was even open to the public for several hours that afternoon! I would have LOVED a tour of that four masted brigantine-schooner!
We gathered up our passports and Visas and we headed ashore to get a closer look at the vessel.
As soon as we exited the cruise terminal we headed over to get a closer look at the ship. And I snapped a few photos of our ship for comparison.
The commander of the training ship welcomed the Cuban dignitaries and the Spanish ambassador onboard. Then the sailors performed an exhibition of their climbing skills on those ropes and masts! It was amazing!
Those white clad sailors climbed the ropes all the way to the top of those four giant masts! Next they snapped to attention and saluted the dignitaries far below.
Can you imagine climbing those masts while the ship is rocking and rolling on the High Seas!?! Being a Spanish sailor on that training vessel is definitely not for the faint of heart!
Interesting Facts
The Juan Sebastian de Elcano is named for the famous Spanish navigator who was the first to go around the earth by sea. This was the 91st training cruise for this ship.
Thanks to the good prevailing winds, the ship was able to sail from Santa Cruz de Tenerife to San Juan Puerto Rico without using the engines! It was only the seventh time the ship has used only the sails and not the engines on that crossing since it became part of the Spanish Navy in 1928.
What a lucky day we chose to visit Havana!
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