Spanish ship Rayo (1751)

Spanish ship Rayo (1751)
Spanish ship Rayo (1751)
Name:	Rayo
Ordered:	1748
Builder:	Royal Dockyard, La Habana
Laid down:	1748
Launched:	28 June 1749
Commissioned:	31 January 1751
Honours and; awards:	Participated in: Battle of Trafalgar;
Fate:	Ran aground and wrecked on 26 October 1805; wreck burned and destroyed by British forces on 31 October
General characteristics
Class & type:	80-gun Rayo-class ship of the line
Tons burthen:	1.750bm
Length:	55 m
Beam:	15,80 m
Draught:	8,68 m
Propulsion:	Sails
Sail plan:	Full rigged ship
Complement:	80 guns, 1752: 453 men; 100 guns, in Trafalgar: 812 men
Armament:	As a 80 gun ship (1751); 30 gun 24 pdrs; 32 gun 18 pdrs; 18 gun 8 pdrs; 2 gun 3 pdrs; As a 100 gun ship (1803); 30 gun 36 pdrs; 32 gun 18 pdrs; 18 gun 8 pdrs; 4 Howitzer 24 pdrs;

For other ships of the same name, see Spanish ship Rayo.

The Rayo was an 80-gun ship of the line of the Spanish Navy. As was traditional for Spanish ships not named after a saint, its second, dedicatory name was San Pedro Apóstol. It fought at

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; dismasted as a result of damage sustained in the battle, it was surrendered to a British prize crew of the HMS Donegal 3 days later, but ran aground and wrecked in the storm that followed. Her broken hull was set ablaze and destroyed by British sailors some days later.

Service[]

Early[]

Construction on The Rayo started in 1748 in Havana, Cuba, alongside the Real Fénix and was launched in he summer of 1749. It was commissioned in January 1751, but was unable to leave port for the lack of crew. It took another year to find the enough men to sail. It left Havana for Cadiz with a minimal complement of 453, accompagnied by the ships Princesa, Infante and Spanish ship Galicia and a cargo of sugar and timber. She remained in Cadiz for further outfits.

Rebuild[]

Trafalgar[]

External links[]

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