A very common name in the Spanish navy the following web-site has the same image of the ship as given in the margin of the Mozambique stamp. http://naviosehistorianaval.blogspot.co ... rmada.html
Built as a galleon in 1576 in Spain.
Displacement 970 ton, dim. 39.70 x 9.65 x 4.90m. (draught)
Armament 18 culverins of 18 pounds, 10/2 culverins of 9 pounds and 20 swivels and other light guns.
Crew 119 sailors and 70 soldiers.
Completed as the SAN JUAN.
The flag showed on the stern is as it looks the flag of Castile, and only one vessel under the name SAN JUAN was in the squadron of Castile.
After the Battle of Gravelines 29 July 1588 the Spanish Armada returned to Spain, with a northerly course around the Orkneys from were they set a westerly course in the North Atlantic, the proceeding westwards was slow due to the weather and the Gulf Stream which set the ships much more easterly than was thought. At that time the longitude position was impossible to find, and the longitude position of the fleet was not known.
When a southerly course was set by the fleet, they were much nearer to the Scottish and Irish coast as was thought.
When the fleet ran in some strong westerly gales many ships were drifting on the coast and were lost.
The SAN JUAN running out of food carried out a landing in Ireland for supplies, but they had to fight British troops.
At least the Galician coast was sighted and on arrival only 18 crewmembers had survived the voyage.
Her fate unknown
Mozambique 2009 175.000MT sg?, scott? (she is in the margin of the MS.)
Source: http://naviosehistorianaval.blogspot.co ... rmada.html