Magellan’s ship, Nao Victoria cast anchor in Le Havre

The Nao Victoria, Magellan’s vessel replica, cast her anchor in Le Havre (France) on Wednesday 14th September 2016.

Replica of Magellan's ship Nao Victoria. The first vessel which completed the first sailing around the world between 1519 and 1522 was in Le Havre last week.

The 26 metre long vessel was opened to the public throughout the past week.
The replica o the vessel of the famous Portuguese navigator and discoverer, Captain Fernando de Magellan, moored at Quai de la Réunion. The present vessel was built in Spain in 1991 and required many historical researches and documentation led by Ignacio Fenandez Vial, her designer and builder. A complete investigation through nautical archives dating as far back as the sixteenth century allowed her designer to confirm the main dimensions of the Carrack (her specific name) : the mast height, the sails, the tackle and rigging could truly be rebuilt. The Nao Victoria was opened to the public giving everyone the opportunity to learn about the history of the great explorers. A unique opportunity to reconnect to a remote past which changed the world and confirmed what Ptolemee supposed to be true: The earth was round.


I had the opportunity and the great pleasure to ask a friendly crew member a few questions, such as « How did Magellan do to calculate his position at sea? » (as there was no GPS). “He used a sextant, a chronometer and a wood log fixed to a rope to calculate the position of the ship from the speed and time from its last known position”, my interlocutor told me.


« In the ancient times, the only way to measure ship speed was to throw a wood log into the water and observe how fast it moves away from the ship. This approximate method of ship speed measurement was called 'Heaving the Log' and was used until 1500-1600s when the 'Chip Log' method was invented (both methods probably invented by Dutch sailors.)

The 'Chip Log' apparatus consisted of a small weighted wood panel that was attached to the reel of rope, and a time measuring device: a half-minute sand glass (as shown in image above.) Rope had knots tied at equal distances along the reel. Sailors would throw the wood panel into the sea, behind the ship, and the rope would start unwinding from the reel. The faster the ship was moving forward the faster the rope would unwind. By counting the number of knots that went overboard in a given time interval, measured by the sand glass, they could tell the ship's speed. In fact that is the origin of the nautical speed unit: the knot. »

Living on board at the time of the original boat was not as pleasant as what present passengers traveling on cruise ships calling at Le Havre now experience in the comfort of their cabins. Crewmen just slept on the main deck, except for the Captain who enjoyed his cabin.


After her call in Le Havre, the Nao Victoria will keep sailing for the greatest pleasure of all ship lovers in the world.