Feature
Andalucía: Merchant Ship’s Replica Reminiscence Of Spanish Maritime Might And Colonization
By Quirico M. Gorpido, Jr.
Maasin City, Southern Leyte-The docking at Maasin Pier of Andalucía, which is a replica of a merchant ship used in the Galleon Trade by Spain on her business activities with the Latin America, Asia and the Philippines, is an opportune time for historians and students of history to take time to look back of the past by embarking aboard for some glimpses of how it was during the period of Spanish colonization and its maritime might.
The newly-finished seven sails boat now folded as it approached Maasin anchored at the big harbor at past 4:00p.m., November 1, 2010 from Bohol after a 10-day visit of the latter’s place.
People from all walks of life continued to come in droves after hearing the earlier announcement of the boat’s arrival by DYDM’s Jade Nombrado.Some rode on cars, single motorcycles motorcabs.While others came by walking towards the pier.
The boat with a width of 10 meters and 50 meters in length was welcome by Governor Damian G. Mercado and Macrohon Mayor Fe Gaviola -Edillo who led a dance troupe, winner of the Macrohon’s Maghaon Festival whose members were selected students of the Macrohon Institute.
The young group of MACI high school students performed their winning Maghaon dance piece with zeal and gusto under the beat of drums and bugles before the arriving Spanish sailors as the people watched at a distance. As Andalucía touched the sides of the harbor after the berthing maneuver, the energetic young dancers were the first to enter aboard. They were followed by some curious people nearby who wanted to have the first in-look of the boat.
Mobile and modern dancing equipments/gadgets with colorful dancing lights were installed at the pier in preparation for the welcome party (bienvenida) scheduled the following night. It was sponsored by the provincial government led by Governor Damian Mercado and also attended by some capitol officials. For the six-day stay of the boat, a daily schedule of visiting hours were distributed to the media during a press briefing at Kinamot Sa Abgao Restaurant located close to the windy sea.
The MACI dance winner repeated their performance aboard and some of the crew joined in dancing with them by imitating their actions. While other boat’s crew took some shoots as they positioned under the towering masts. The scattered crowd at the pier moved closer to have a closer view of Andalucía and the dark-blue uniformed sailors. The onlookers watched with delight while Governor Mercado moved at the distance viewing the entire scene.
Ship’s Descriptions
The 28-crew boat including 2 women is 10 meters width and 50 meters length. Weighing 600 tons and backed –up by 760 horsepower from 2 diesel engines, it has 6 big and small decks. A huge lamp replica called in Spanish fanal was positioned atop the back of the boat’s upper deck. Several large bright bulbs installed on the ship’s sides have provided the bird’s eye view of the ancient ship’s two towering masts and sails during the night.
“WE mainly use the seven sails with a total of 1,000 square meters in length on our trip”, journalist on-board Miguel Talegon Zaera informed.”The 2 engines are used for departing and arriving”.
The Galleon ship’s replica utilized in the 17th up to the 19th century is entirely made of hardwood-pine and iroco (oak tree).”Pine was taken from a certain place in Portugal, while the iroco was taken from Finland, Africa and Brazil”,he said.”The construction of Andalucía, named after a place in Southern region of Spain, took 1 year and one half to finish”.
The two big rounded-masts in juxtaposition believed by a police officer to be made of steel due to its hardness and strength is actually of hardwoods. “In Spain it is prohibited to cut a very tall tree”, Enrique Torres Barragan of the Dept.of Logistics explained.”Blocks of hardwood trees were glued together until it reached the desired height. It’s not made of steel. The ship is covered with hardwoods”.
Galleon’s Replica
The journalist on-board also clarified that “Andalucía is a replica of the merchant ship Galleon, but not of the Victoria as stated by a Manila-based national broadsheet. It is larger than that of the Victoria. The NAO Victoria, the only ship out of 5-ship fleet under the command of Ferdinand Magellan in his circumnavigation around the world (1519-1522), was the only one able to return to Spain. It was led by Captain Juan Sebastian Elcano.Its replica construction initiated by the NAO Victoria Foundation was funded solely by the government of Spain. Victoria made its first journey around the world only in 2004 up to 2006”.
Zaera continued to narrate:”On the other hand, Andalucia, which took one and a half years to finish, has made its first journey just recently. It departed from Sevilla, also a place in the Southern region of Spain, sometime in March 2010.It reached in Manila, Philippines during the second week of October of the current year. The funds utilized in the Andalucía construction came from both the government and the private sectors”.
The visiting boat is adapting to advanced science and technology, whose trip is funded by various sponsoring organizations, has a state-of-the-art gadgets and equipments. It uses Global Positioning System, radio, sextant, compass and the so-called EIS. Its radar has 12-mile radius coverage to detect incoming ships and land location. A highly-sensitive modern antenna was erected atop the toldilla (upper deck). Near the entrance of the Royal Admiral Room are square holes on both sides where cannons are positioned as if ready to fire for an attacking approaching enemy.”It’s no longer the real one but replicas. It just serve as decorations”, Zaera explained.
Right beneath the toldilla is where the Almirante (Admiral Room) also called royal chamber is located. It has a dinning table with chairs made of thick hardwood .On either side was built 4 cabins which is exclusively for the VIP’s accommodation during their stay. On a wall hanged a frame displaying an engraved design of the Victoria. On the other side is the traditional graven image of the St0. Niño. Well-arranged furniture, also replicas which were made of pine and iroco adds beauty to the coolness of the Admiral Room. There’s also the replica of ancient tools and weapons on display encased in a transparent glass.
Infront of the opposite upper deck beneath, which is adjacent to the bow,is a small canteen. It has 2 other cabins for the crew called Sollado (orlop or sleeping quarters).And the hull of the ship is made of polyester and fiberglass.
Press Conference
Earlier in the evening of their arrival, a press conference was held at the Kinamot Sa Abgao restaurant which was built close to the sea. It was attended by the local media. Eight of the crew faced the press.
Asked how many months did it took Andalucía to reach the Philippine shore from Spain, Captain Manuel Murube revealed that it took almost 7 months to reach the Phjilippines.However,in going to the country, the ship anchored in China, Taiwan and Hongkong before proceeding to Manila. They stayed for several days in each stopover.
“Our trip is a great experience and we are learning everyday”, seaman Jose Viñas told the press.
Queried by a government media on the purpose of their trip, another crew informed that, “it is to promote the history of the Spanish maritime might during its period and to promote science”.
DYDM station Manager Rev. Amil Borromeo further invited the Andalucía crew to attend the upcoming 500 years celebration of Ferdinand Magellan’s landing in Limasawa Island in March 1521, where the First Catholic Mass was held and officiated by Priest Pedro Valderrama and his men under the instruction of Magellan.
Barragan responded that Spain is also preparing for such event and is hoping that they are still around by the year 2021 so that they can participate in the journey from Spain to the Philippines, tracing the route of Magellan and his five-ship fleet.
He further divulged that their trip in Maasin was not included in their routes. He said they came here thru the invitation of Governor Damian Gaviola Mercado via the Spanish Embassy. Cesar Gonzales, also a seaman added that “their trip here is the best”.
Also present at the presscon were Pepelu Varo-Chief Engineer; Jose Luis Rivera-Engineer; David Gargenia-Engineer; Jaime Rodriguez-First Mate; Manuel Garcia -Second Mate; Antonio Martin Madrid-Chef.
During an interview with LSDE aboard the Andalucía, children, teenagers and adults were milling around looking at every nook and corner for glimpses of the past. With cameras and cellphones on hands, visitors coming from Maasin and the neighboring towns posed for souvenir photos as they invited some crew to join in their photo sessions.
Visitors From Various Persuasions
For six days visitation period , people from various persuasions and callings, formed long line of queues, waiting for long under the heat of the sun, just to be able to view the interior built of the boat.Zaera estimated that since the first day of the “open house” visitors have reached 15,000 plus. He claimed that the number of people coming to visit the Andalucía is largely equal to that of the Manila, Cebu and Bohol visits.
During their second up to 6th-day stay, some of the sports-minded crew played football at the Capitol’s sunken garden pitting against the local players. Others have visited the dive resort in Padre Burgos, hopped to Limasawa island and enjoying the underneath sea beauty of Sogod Bay. While the other crews went caving in Cambaro, Macrohon. On the fifth day, the City Govt. sponsored the advanced farewell dinner/party(dispedida)led by Mayor Maloney Samaco with some city hall officials together with selected personalities of the city.
AS they left Maasin, the Andalucía would have sailed around the Limasawa Island prior to their next trip to Singapore then to Sri Lanka.But the continuous coming of many visitors on the sixth day, now much lesser than the first five days, has affected the plan and the scheduled trip to Limasawa the following day was put on hold. On the 7th day the boat left Maasin pier at past 8:00 a.m.After their stopover at Sri Lanka they shall be passing the Mediterranean seas. The crew might also anchor in Italy, Germany and France and would stay for several days in each place. After that the ship shall be departing for their return to the port of Sevilla, also located in the Southern region of Spain.(Quirico M. Gorpido,Jr.)
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