"Urka de Lima" - the fiction of the director of "Black Sails" or a real ship?

XVIII century - the time of pirates, sailing ships and legends about untold treasures. It was then that the thirst for gold pushed people to plunder on the high seas, and it was in those early years that a ship with the beautiful name "Urka de Lima" walked along the sea ...

The series "Black Sails"

Probably before the release of the sensational series Black Sails on the existence of the Spanish galleon called "Urca de Lima" knew except that historians who specialize in the European colonies of the 18th century. Everything turned upside down when the fascinating plot of the film became known, where outrageous pirates chase Spanish gold for a better life.

So was it really a galleon with treasures, the owner of which could become the richest man of the New World?

The Genuine History of the Spanish Galleon

It was 1715. Spain, financially exhausted by the war for the inheritance, more than ever needed money. Regular attacks by pirates did not allow free movement of gold and other valuables from the Spanish colonies of the New World.

But there was simply no other choice, and in the summer of 1715 a caravan of 12 ships, commanded by General Juan Esteban de Ubilla, left Havana. The holds of the ships were packed to the brim with gold, silver and colonial goods. The total value of the cargo, according to historical information, was about 14 million pesos.

The Spanish fleet moved slowly along the eastern coast of Florida as early as the fifth day, when suddenly the wind blew from the southeast, the sea became unsettled, and experienced sailors, who often walked in these deceptive waters, did not bode well. These were the first messengers of a powerful tropical storm, which in a few hours will send 11 of 12 Spanish ships, including the galleon Urka de Lima, to the bottom or break the reefs.

The only vessel that spared the hurricane was the merchant ship Griffin. A few days after the disaster, he reached the coast of Cuba, and the sailors were able to tell about what had happened. The rest have found their last refuge on the Florida coast, about a thousand people survived in that terrible storm.

The fate of the treasures of the sunken ship

The Spaniards were looking for their sunken gold for about 3 years. To raise values from shallow water, a special bell was used. They managed to return to the treasury about a third of all money, then transported to Europe. Pirate raids in search of easy money really took place, so that the creators of the series relied on historical facts.

After the departure of the Spaniards, many local residents, along with the American treasure hunters for a long time to equip the expedition to the crash site, someone was lucky, someone - no.

The fragments of the galleon "Urka de Lima" were discovered only in 1987, not far from the modern Fort Pierce. According to the on-board records, the whole cargo was transferred to the shore immediately after the hurricane. This was possible, since part of the ship remained above the water after the crash.

"Urka de Lima" - a ship whose photo after the release of "Black Sails" is not so difficult to find on the Internet, thanks to this film, he seemed to have risen. The name of the ship, sunken more than 300 years ago, is again heard by millions of viewers around the world.