The life’s work of Xabier Agote is on display in a large covered workshop on the Spanish coast.

Teams of craftsmen use hand tools to shape each wooden component of a Spanish galleon.

It has been hundreds of years since these types of ships were built in the Basque Country. Learning how to do it was one of the biggest challenges.

“We use traditional tools and the same type of wood as before, mainly oak trees from the forests nearby,” Agote recently told CBC News in an interview.

In the 16th century, these types of ships were common in towns like Pasaia.

Xabier Agote has been dreaming of building a Spanish galleon ever since he heard about the discovery of the San Juan in Labrador. (Albaola Maritime Culture Factory)

Hundreds of Basque shipbuilders built the ships, which then crossed the Atlantic Ocean to hunt whales.

They built the ships based on experience and memory. The methods were not written down and so the knowledge of how the ships looked exactly and how they were built was lost over the centuries.

Help from a small town in Labrador

That all changed in the late 1970s, when Selma Barkham’s research led her to the town of Red Bay on Labrador’s south coast.

There, on the bottom of the harbor, she found what was believed to be the wreck of the San Juan.

In December 1565, the ship lay at anchor in the harbor, its hold filled with 1,000 barrels of whale oil after a full hunting season, ready to return to Europe.

But during a storm it broke loose, sank and remained untouched for hundreds of years until it was discovered.

The wreck is considered one of the best preserved wrecks of its time. Parks Canada has carefully recovered and documented all 3,000 pieces of the ship.

“They gave us the secrets of the Basque shipbuilding technology of the 16th century, which was so important at the time,” said Agote.

New workers had to learn traditional shipbuilding techniques to build the ship in the same way as in the 16th century. (Albaola Maritime Culture Factory)

It was not easy to make a replica from that blueprint.

Agote founded a school to teach traditional techniques, a museum to tell the story and received the support of UNESCO.

A project that was supposed to take just a few years has now taken more than ten years. But it is almost finished.

A mast and some rigging still need to be added, but Agote wants to launch the ship next year.

And that’s just the beginning: in 2026 he wants to sail the ship back to Labrador.

To Canada in 2026

The trip has generated interest on both sides of the Atlantic. Last month, Canadian and Spanish officials met in Spain to begin planning for the trip.

The Canadian ambassador to Spain is excited about the possibilities

“We have a great history that most Canadians, and I would say most Spanish, and most Basques, don’t necessarily know about,” Wendy Drukier told CBC News.

“It’s just a great opportunity to deepen that knowledge and that relationship.”

Much of the knowledge about the construction of Spanish galleons was largely lost until the wreck of the San Juan was discovered in Red Bay, Labrador. (Albaola Maritime Culture Factory)

Gran Baya, as the Basques called present-day Red Bay, was an important whaling centre from the 1530s onwards.

Whales were hunted for their fat, which was processed into oil, barreled and shipped to Europe, where it was used for lighting.

WATCH | A huge ship, international relations and a difficult reconstruction:

Hundreds of years later, the red roof tiles that were brought in as ballast on the ships can still be found on the banks.

Cindy Gibbons was just a high school student when she began documenting the San Juan.

She is now Parks Canada’s cultural resource management advisor and managed the Red Bay heritage site for many years.

“I grew up in Red Bay and I grew up with this place, and I’m sure I share the sentiments of a lot of people in that community: we’re really looking forward to this,” she said.

“This is a very exciting project.”

Spanish and Canadian officials, including Labrador Affairs Minister Lisa Dempster (far left), met in Spain in June to discuss plans to bring the San Juan to Canada. (Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa)

The provincial minister of Labrador Affairs is also enthusiastic about the opportunity to strengthen ties between two similar peoples separated by an ocean.

Lisa Dempster says she felt immediately at home when she arrived in Spain.

“I believe that as Labradorians we have the same adventurous spirit, resilience and strong work ethic as the Basque Country. We are true sailors and that is what unites us,” said Lisa Dempster.

Xabier Agote still has a lot of work to do. He has to braid rope, weave sails and train people.
But he is determined to ensure his ship makes the return trip to Canada.

“We want to celebrate a common heritage, a heritage that extends across the Atlantic in both directions. I think this is the best way to get to know each other,” he said.

And if he makes the journey, the people of Labrador will read it

“When you leave this port, we will be waiting for you on the dock in Red Bay,” Dempster said.

Download our free CBC News app to sign up for push notifications for CBC Newfoundland and Labrador. Click here to visit our landing page.