MODELING THE ESCAPE CRAFT: WHAT TYPE OF VESSEL DID NARVAEZ BUILD TO ESCAPE THE APALACHEE AND THEIR NEIGHBORS?

This article examines the type of escape vessels constructed by the 1528 Pánfilo de Narváez expedition near present-day St. Marks, Florida, as survivors fled hostile Native Peoples including the Apalachee. Drawing primarily on the detailed 1542 account by survivor Alvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca, the authors argue that the expedition built five “barcas” (barges)—flat-bottomed, barge-like boats approximately 43 feet long with sails and oars—rather than simple rafts or more complex ships like bergantines. These vessels were rapidly constructed under dire conditions using limited tools fashioned from melted iron gear, pine and palmetto materials for planks and caulking, and horsehide for water bags, enabling about 242 men to escape by sea along the northern Gulf Coast. Although the exact build site remains unidentified and no archaeological remains have been found, a scale model based on historical descriptions and expert consultation was created to represent the likely design and construction of these early Spanish-built vessels in North America.