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By *Yemassee readying for 10th Shrimp Festival *Boating season ends accident-free
*The time for patience is over; it is now or never for Hunting Island State Park *Shifting sands: Uncertain future awaits beach residents
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It was the Marquis of Santa Cruz who died at age 62, not Medina Sidonia, so, under the photo of the latter, will you please delete the second phrase: " but dies at age 62 before the Spanish invasion could sail." The rest of the text seems right.
The Armada P 17.
At about 1500 ( 3PM ) the incoming tide at Plymouth was in full flood, that coupled with a fresh South West wind meant the English ships would need to at least wait until the next tidal ebb, due about 2200 ( 10 PM ) that night, before they could go to sea.
The large Royal Galleons and the better armed merchant ships commenced their warping out of Plymouth Sound, the next morning, Howard led his ships beating out to sea, the dice had been rolled, the game was about to commence.
It was after Fleming had delivered his warning about the Spanish ships that Drake was reputed to have made his famous remarks:
But did he in fact utter that phrase? It certainly is within the compass of what Drake was like, cocky, very sure of himself and his abilities. There does not seem to be any contemporary record of this legend, but it makes good reading, even in the twenty first Century.
30th.July-31st.July 1588.
Now, with his fleet at one, Medona Sidonia, held a Council of War, what to do? It seemed the Spanish Commander led by consensus, rather than taking a decision and then issuing orders to carry it out. Some of his leaders favoured an attack on Plymouth, but eventually it was decided that the entrance to this port was too narrow, and shore batteries would be dangerous.
It seemed that the only decision agreed upon was that the Armada would sail no further than the Isle of Wight until a rendezvous with Parma had been organised.
The Armada now started its move up the Channel, in the van, the Levant Squadron, the Duke with the main group of Galleons, on each wing followed the Guipuzcoans and the Andalusians, safely cosseted in the centre, the hulks or supply ships, with Recalde and his Biscayans with the remainder of the Galleons bringing up the rear.
When passing the Lizzard, an English pinnace sighted the force, firing a small cannon before taking off, no doubt to spread the word, the Spanish are under way.
By late afternoon all this force anchored in the lee of Dodman point, and some scouting pinnaces were despatched to gather what intelligence they could find. The British were beyond the Eddystone light, from their shrouds the topmen could make out the vastness of the Spanish fleet, probably the greatest number of hostile ships of war ever viewed by English eyes. No doubt both sides bedded down for the night wondering what the morning held in store for them. In those days of sail, the weather and its wind held the key for defeat or for victory, whoever harnessed the elements better, and fought their ships with more vigour and efficiency would win the fight.
On the evening of the 30th. of July, the prevailing wind was West-South -West, the Spanish were to windward of their foe, holding the weather- guage.
Come the next morning, the wind had moved to West-North-West, coming off the land, by day break, the Spanish ships still held a windward position, and a British Squadron was trying to work around to get ahead of them to the West.
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