Portobello
Jackamy
Paul & Derry Harper
Fri 5 Feb 2010 19:05
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09:33.530N
79:39.965W
Friday 5th February
We left our anchorage at 6.45 for a 65 mile
sail to Portabello where all the rally boats are meeting for a briefing followed
by lunch. As we approached an hour later a procession of rally boats were
leaving the anchorage and were all sailed along the coast together. We
dropped our anchor at 4pm on the north side of the bay under the remains of Fort
San Fernando.
The Bay of Portobello was discovered by
Christoper Columbus on 2nd Nov 1502. Francis Drake used the port in 1570 as a
base to rob Spanish merchant men. He returned in the 1590's and destroyed the
beginnings of the Spanish fortifications. Drake died during the same voyage and
was buried at sea nearby.
Portabello became one of the most important
sites for transferring south and central American riches. From the port tons of
gold and silver flowed to the commercial capital of the Spanish Empire, Seville.
The place attracted constant raids by buccaneers. British Admiral Vernon
destroyed the Portobello forts in 1739 and the great commercial fair never
returned to the bay after the Spanish Crown finally allowed trading voyage
around Cape Horn.
Portobello is quite run down, ruins of the
solid fortification can still be seen today.
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