Galleon of China: flagship of trade over two centuries

Construction

By the 16th century, shipbuilding in Spain was extremely advanced and master shipwrights brought their cutting-edge techniques to the Philippines. Though they were still built according to Spanish regulation, the Philippines’ abundance of high-quality wood allowed them to construct hundreds of galleons well into the 17th century – each more grand and ornate than the last

Timber

Tropical hardwoods in the Philippines were strong, durable and insect-resistant, with the best coming from bitaog, apitong, terminalia trees, as well as banaba, palo maria, dangam, arguijo and coamings. Shipwrights would identify the most suitable timber for the build, and then take workers on expeditions to find and collect it

It took 6,000 workers three months to find enough timber
for one ship

Shipbuilders took advantage of the natural shapes of different tree varieties, depending on how they would be used in the construction. A straight pine trunk, for example, was perfect for a mast, whereas a crooked one might be ideal to frame the keel

Cut down with
a new moon

According to tradition, trees hewn with the new moon would be drier, harder and more resistant to weathering, putrefaction and fungal infection

Most timber was hewn from forests in Laguna de Bay. It is estimated that 6,000 workers needed about three months to assemble enough timber for each galleon

Building the galleon

Galleons were built in the shipyards of Cavite, a Philippine province south of Manila Bay on Luzon Island. Blacksmiths, carpenters, builders and naval experts worked together to create these “strong castles in the sea” – called so because strength was considered more crucial than mobility

One ship needed thousands of trees, but took less time

Under Spain’s rigid government regulation, a typical galleon would take about two years to build. But in the Philippines, a vessel with the exact same design could be completed in just six months, using about 2,000 trees

Characteristics

During the early years of the Acapulco to Manila route, galleons had similar characteristics to their counterparts in Europe and the Americas. But as the trade and exchange of goods evolved, the Manila galleon acquired it’s own style

Hard hulls
Such durable wood meant the hulls of galleons built in Manila did not splinter easily and were strong enough to withstand cannon fire. During their occupation of Manila between 1762 and 1764, the British fired more than 1,000 cannonballs – each weighing up to 10kg –at the Nuestra Santisima Señora de la Trinidad in Manila Bay. When they finally captured the ship, the British were shocked to find the hull hardly damaged

Galleon’s hull cutaway

Not only wood
Apart from a huge amount of wood, the ships also needed lots of iron and other materials for nails, anchors, chains, pikes, bolts, tacks, spikes, keys, pins, rings and rudder pintles. Most of the metal items were made from iron ore, rough sheets and rods imported from China and to a lesser extent Japan, India and America. China also made nails and pins according to sizes and shapes ordered by the Philippines governor

Protection of the hull
Although timber in the Philippines was highly resistant to rot and cannon fire, thin sheets of tin or lead sheaths were added to parts of the hull for extra protection against sea worms

Rigging, cables, ropes and sails
Rigging was used to manage the sails, masts were supported by rope and cables and cords were used to make shrouds. All the rope was made from abaca plant fibre, which was much stronger than the hemp rigging used by European countries

Galleon typical shape sails

Using high-quality cotton from areas such as the Philippine province of Ilocos, the sails were cheaper to produce and more durable than those made in Spain and across Europe

The whipstaff
Galleons used this steering device before the introduction of the more complex ship’s wheel in the early 18th century. The disadvantage was that the helmsman had a very limited range of control of the tiller’s movement

Poop deck
Galleons with high poop decks need ballast to balance their loads and prevent capsizing

Evolution of the galleon
By the 18th century these were the biggest ships in the world

Peering into a 16th century galleon
Here’s an example of a typical 16th or 17th century galleon that sailed between Acapulco and Manila