Nuestra Señora del Carmen, San Antonio de Padua y Las Ánimas
Aka Chaves

On Friday, July 13, 1733, the Nueva España Fleet, under the command of General Rodrigo de Torres, left the port of Havana bound for Spain. The fleet consisted of 4 escort galleons, 16 merchant ships and 2 small ships that transported supplies to the Presidio St. Augustine.

The Chaves was built in Genoa. At first, the vessel was called Nuestra Señora del Carmen, San Antonio de Padua y Las Animas, but her owner, Antonio de Chaves, later renamed her after his last name. She was one of the smallest ships in the 1733 fleet. A hurricane hit and she ran aground in shallow waters. The crew and passengers were saved, and most of the cargo was recovered. Although the hull was intact, and the masts and rigging were serviceable, this 220-ton ship could not be refloated, which is why she was burned to the waterline. It can be visited.

Read the full story in “10 notable shipwrecks”