Galleys in Caribean

In a galley you'd want to be well ashore by the time hurricane season hits. A galley would be swamped if it was caught out at sea by a hurricane. Even in the Mediterranean galleys didn't usually venture out of port during the winter storm season. sometimes they did conduct winter campaigns and they were usually very successful but there was always the risk of a storm destroying your fleet and army. Look at what happened to Charles V at Algiers.

Perhaps you're right (I don't doubt it at all actually), but this may be another reason why a Galley isn't practical in the Carribbean. The two will not mix. You can't beach the galley during the oncomming hurricane because the hurricane will tear the galley apart and you can't be at sea (where you would otherwise want to be) because you would be swamped.

I believe a tall ship would prefer being at sea, but this is based on modern naval desires. Trust me on the later - I've been in hurricane territory and watched the ships quickly make a run for sea. They DON'T want to be in port.
 
18th century RN practice was always to try to get out to sea in such circumstance. With LOTS of sea room. Didn't guarantee you'd survive, but gave you a better chance.
 

katchen

Banned
Galleys in the Mediteranean/Gulf might well mean early Spanish exploration of the Mississippi-Missouri River system and the Orinocco/Meta Rivers to New Grenada/Columbia.
 
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