Wreck of the San Agustin
In November 1595, the Spanish galleon San Agustin, commanded by Sebastian Rodriguez Cermeno and laden with a valuable cargo of Chinese silks, spices, and Ming Dynasty porcelain, was sailing from Manila to Acapulco when it was caught in a violent storm. The gale drove the ship onto the beaches of Point Reyes, shattering the vessel and scattering its precious cargo across the sandy floor of Drakes Bay. This disaster represents the earliest recorded shipwreck on the West Coast of the United States. While local Coast Miwok Indians salvaged some of the porcelain and traded it inland, a substantial portion of the ship's structural remains and cargo lies buried beneath the bay's thick marine sediment.
Field Research Notes
The wreck site is situated inside the protected boundaries of the Point Reyes National Seashore and the Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary. Any form of salvage, metal detecting, or disturbance of submerged cultural resources is strictly illegal under federal law. Research should be limited to surface-level shoreline observations of wash-up material or academic archival studies.
Recommended Gear
High-power binoculars, Polarized sunglasses, Historical maritime charts
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