‘Juan Sebastián de Elcano’ resumes sea trials after completing its refit

The Navantia shipyard in San Fernando has completed the special works commissioned by the Spanish Navy in preparation for the vessel’s upcoming centenary.

The Spanish Navy’s training ship Juan Sebastián de Elcano left Navantia’s San Fernando shipyard (Cádiz) this week, where it had undergone its annual dry docking, in order to begin sea trials ahead of the training cruise scheduled to start in January.

The vessel departed Dock No. 4 of the shipyard on Sunday, December 14, where the works had been carried out. This maneuver coincided with the open house day held at the facilities and became one of the moments that attracted the greatest public interest.

Navantia’s Repairs business unit in the Bay of Cádiz was responsible for refurbishing the ship’s main structures. Among other actions, the work included the renewal of the rigging; overhaul of the masts (the fore mainmast and the after mainmast); complete renewal of the air-conditioning plant; full replacement of the wastewater treatment system; renewal of the after mainmast tramway; and the restructuring of the non-commissioned officers’ cabins in the forward section.

With this dry-docking period, Navantia has completed the special works linked to the vessel’s centenary.

In this context, Navantia is commemorating the centenary of the construction of the training ship, as the keel of the vessel was laid on November 24th, 1925, on slipway number 2 of the former Echevarrieta Shipyard in Cádiz.

Since entering service with the Navy in 1928, Juan Sebastián de Elcano has been much more than a training ship: it has served as a floating ambassador for Spain, a symbol of naval tradition, and a witness to key moments in maritime history. Each year, it embarks around 80 midshipmen who complete their training on board, sailing thousands of nautical miles on voyages that combine instruction, diplomacy, and culture. 

In the 1920s, the Navy, then operating the veteran training ship Galatea, initially planned to convert the sailing vessel Minerva as its replacement. However, the poor condition of the hull and rigging made this option unfeasible, leading to the decision to build a new ship. The contract was signed on June 26, 1925, based on plans drawn up by Camper & Nicholson, and the construction order was published in the Official State Gazette on April 17th.

During the keel-laying ceremony, Horacio Echevarrieta proposed to the Prime Minister, Miguel Primo de Rivera, that the name Minerva be changed to Juan Sebastián de Elcano, in honor of the navigator who completed the first circumnavigation of the globe. The proposal was approved by the King and ratified by the Council of Ministers on December 13th, 1925.

The ship was launched on March 5th, 1927, coinciding with the Carnival of Cádiz, in a ceremony presided over by civil and military authorities. The vessel was officially delivered to the Navy on July 30th, 1928, after successfully completing its first year under warranty.

The ship has spent nearly one hundred years at sea, having sailed approximately 1.9 million nautical miles across all the world’s oceans and called at ports in more than 70 different countries.

As a training ship, Juan Sebastián de Elcano has a primary mission: the seagoing training of future Navy officers, the midshipmen. To this end, it typically undertakes a training cruise every year, almost always outside Spain, during which approximately three quarters of the time is spent at sea. During these voyages, midshipmen attend classes and take part in all shipboard maneuvers. Of the 97 training cruises completed to date, eleven have been round-the-world voyages. Over the years, the ship has demonstrated excellent performance even under the most adverse weather conditions.

In addition, its secondary mission is to support Spain’s foreign policy, which has earned Elcano the nickname “the Ambassador.” Since entering service, the ship has made nearly 1,300 port calls in more than 200 different cities. In these ports, in addition to logistical operations and providing rest for the crew and midshipmen, the ship represents Spain and the Navy by taking part in a wide range of activities, such as flag oath ceremonies, and institutional, cultural, or military visits, organized in coordination with Spanish embassies in the countries it visits.