History
The Noordster was part of the flotilla under Pieter Adriaensz Ita, admiral of the Dutch West India Company WIC). They left for the Caribbean in the spring of 1628 and managed to conquer two ships of the Spanish flee from Honduras on 2 August 1628 just outside Havana.
Ita's flotilla consisted of the Walcheren (admiral), Dolfijn van Amsterdam (vice admiral), Eendracht van Dort (rear admiral), Goede Fortuin (van Zeeland), Leeuwinne (yacht), Vriese Jager (yacht), Kat and the Noordster.
Ita captures two Spanish galleons
On August 1, two large galleons rounded cape San Anton, the St. Jago and the Nosa Senhora de Remedios, and were spotted by Ita’s scouts. The next morning the Spaniards tried to enter Havana under full sails, yet the bay was blocked by Ita. The galleons had to sail past Havana and were driven to the coast by the Dutch where they ran aground just east of Havana.
The Dutch tried to close in with the intention to board. During this attempt, a Dutch ship, the Leeuwin, was also grounded. The crew of this ship was heavily bombarded by the Spaniards. The rest of the Dutch ships were warned and stayed at a distance. The fight lasted all day. Eventually, the Dutch manasged to overpower both galleons. The Spanish crew gave up the fight, jumped overboard and tried to reach the coast swimming.
The Noordster is mentioned in sources after this incident. It is unclear what became of her.
Description
WIC Chamber: Amsterdam
Tonnage: 30 last
Crew: 40
Armament: 4 bronze, 4 iron cannon
| Master | Huyghens, Cornelis |
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