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Drake's Bay

USA / California / Inverness /
 bay, place with historical importance, estuary, NRHP - National Register of Historic Places, historic district, U.S. National Historic Landmark
Generally believed to be the cove where Francis Drake beached the Golden Hind in June 1579 for much needed repairs before attempting to cross the Pacific. Although this site matches the general discription of what Drake named Portus Nova Albionís, no archaeological evidence has been found to verify this identity. Other candidate sites include Bolinas Bay and Bodega Bay.
Drake's log indicated his "convenient and fit harbour" was at 38.5 degrees north.
In reality that happens to be a rugged, unprotected stretch of coast between Fort Ross and the Russian River.
Point Reyes is close to 38.0 degrees north.

Seventeenth and eighteenth century navigators agreed Potus Nova Albionís was somewhere near 38.33 degrees, as is an anchorage known today as Bodega Bay and it's lagoon.
Recent research suggests the Golden Hind may have been beached at Campbell Cove (Bodega Lagoon.)
The Jodicus Hondius map of 1589 (detail above) illustrates Portus Nova Albionís, based on Drake's description.
The Laguna Ranch near Muddy Hollow (presently the location of the Point Reyes Hostel and the Clem Miller Center) was the site of an elaborate, 40-year hoax, when a chauffeur named William Caldeira purportedly found Sir Francis Drake's "Plate of Brasse" on the premises in 1933. Long believed by some historians to be a brass plaque left by the English explorer in 1579, scientists conclusively proved in the 1970s that the "artifact" a fraud.

This general area of the bay and its coast are listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP), where it is designated a U.S. National Historic Landmark District.
Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drake's_Bay
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   38°0'38"N   122°55'57"W

Comments

  • MM (guest)
    Antique spanish and english daggers were found on this beach, as were 16th century silver and tin cups and other archaeological bits, though apparently the authorities were not aware of this local fact.
  • desu
    Perhaps they are referring to the Spanish galleon San Agustin, which was captained by Sebastián Rodríguez Cermeño and driven aground by high winds while anchored in Drake's Bay on 30 November 1595. http://www.caribbeanarchaeology.com/SanAgustin.htm http://www.ptreyeslight.com/stories/sept24_98/shipwreck.html
This article was last modified 7 years ago