Studer Community Institute

Pensacola welcomes Elcano

May 27, 2015
/ Reggie Dogan
/ government

Besides Elcano's majestic size and beauty, Doug Bridges had another reason to see the world's third tallest ship arrive at the Port of Pensacola. His family traces its roots to Gen. Bernardo Galvez, the war hero that Spain sent the Elcano to honor this year. “It’s such a beautiful ship, and they arrived right on time,” Bridges said as he stood along the rail at Palafox Pier. “I wanted to see it come in, and it was about an half mile out when I got it.” Bridges joined hundreds of spectators lined up at Palafox to witness the arrival of Spain’s renowned naval training ship. The Juan Sebastian de Elcano sailed into the Port of Pensacola almost exactly at 9 a.m. for a five-day visit as part of the annual Fiesta of Five Flags celebration. [sidebar] Elcano Tours Free tours of the naval ship are available to the public from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 3 to 5 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, May 29-30, and from 3 to 5 p.m. on Sunday, May 31. Tour dates are subject to change. Visit FiestaofFiveFlags.org for updates. The ship will depart Pensacola on Monday, June 1, at 4 p.m. [/sidebar] Throngs of visitors stood along the rails to greet the arriving ship at the port. Some snapped pictures with cellphones, while others used mounted cameras on tripods to get closeup shots of Elcano and its crew. Onboard, crewmembers in orange jumpsuits stood railside on deck as the ship made port. The Elcano is a four-masted topsail schooner stretching 113 meters, the third largest Tall Ship in the world. It eased through the bay in the company of a flotilla of boats and ships, large and small. Flotilla passengers waved Spanish flags to greet visitors. Pensacola Christian College professor Nino Mendez came out to capture history on camera for the Spanish class he teaches. A Spanish descendent teaching college Spanish, Mendez said he always is interested in anything related to his native culture. “I went to the beach but missed its arrival, then I drove to the bay,” Mendez said, snapping pictures on his tripod-mounted camera. “I have never seen the ship before, and I will use these pictures in my class.” The Elcano last visited Pensacola in 2009 as part of the city’s 450^th anniversary celebration of the 1559 arrival of Spanish explorer Don Tristan de Luna, marking the first American settlement in Pensacola. As part of this year’s trip, an informal welcoming ceremony will be held at noon for the ship’s commander, Capt. Enrique Torre-Pineyro, at T.T. Wentworth Jr. Florida State Museum. Spain sent the Elcano to Pensacola this year to honor the U.S. citizenship of Gen. Bernardo de Galvez, a Revolutionary War hero who won the Battle of Pensacola 234 years ago in May. Each year, Pensacola, which boasts a large population with connections to Spain, celebrates that victory. Bridges, a lifelong resident of Pensacola, is among those whose family lays claim to Spanish heritage. The last time Elcano visited Pensacola in 2009, Bridges took pictures of the Blue Angels flying over the tall masts and made it his computer wallpaper. This time Bridges plans to take advantage of the opportunity to learn more about the ship and celebrate his ties to Spain. “I plan to go and tour that thing,” Bridges said, pointing to Elcano at port. “I got to go on that ship.”

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Pensacola welcomes Elcano

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