On the afternoon of October 10, the wooden 700 ton, 3-masted sailing galleon Marigalante sank in the Pacific Ocean off Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. The Marigalante had suffered water ingress after the mechanical failure of the bilge pump. Unable to control the flooding, water rose in the hull. The 9 crew members on board attempted to repair the bilge system, but were unable to stop the flooding. The vessel quickly developed a starboard list and sank a short time later. All the crew on board were safely evacuated and there were no injuries. No details were provided to how much pollution was released.
There was some speculation to the cause of the sinking. The Marigalante had withstood the passing tropical storm Raymond the prior day. However, authorities stated the high winds and large waves from the storm were not the cause of the vessel’s sinking. Mexican authorities did report the sailing vessel suffered structural damage when it sank. There will be an assessment made to see if the Marigalante could be raised and salvaged.
The Marigalante was built in 1982 as a replica to the carvel Santa Maria, the vessel which Christopher Columbus sailed in 1492, and took part of the commemoration of the 500th anniversary of the discovery of America in 1992. The vessel had 4 decks and could carry up to 240 passengers. Used in themed tours and nightly shows, the Marigalante continued to be in use in Puerto Vallarta.
