1554 Shipwreck May 28, 2009

As the Spanish discovered more and more riches in the New World they had to find a ship that could get the cargo home. They already had light, narrow, caravels, but these ships couldn't carry enough cargo. They had huge carracks, but carracks couldn't maneuver well in battle, so they developed the nao. The three Padre Island ships were naos. From them, and historical sources, we know something about the cargo ships that became the sailing beasts of burden for Spain. Naos had enough hull depth to carry all the provisions, cargo and armament needed to survive the Atlantic crossing. These sturdy, broad-beamed ships could withstand the pounding of ocean waves and storms. And naos could still maneuver well enough in battle. Although other ships performed specific tasks better, naos gave the Spanish what they needed for the Indies trade. Naos carried enough cargo, were maneuverable, and stayed afloat long enough to bring treasure home.