Columbus's First Atlantic Crossing: 36 Days to the Bahamas

Christopher Columbus's **first transatlantic voyage (1492)** took **36 days** from departure from the **Canary Islands** to landfall in the **Bahamas**.

Timeline

• August 3, 1492: Departed **Palos de la Frontera, Spain** (3 ships: *Niña, Pinta, Santa María*).
• August 9 – September 6: **Canary Islands (La Gomera).** Repaired *Pinta*'s rudder, restocked. **True oceanic departure: September 6.**
• September 6 – October 12: **36 days** westward across the **North Atlantic** driven by **NE Trade Winds**.
• October 12, 1492: Landfall **Guanahaní (San Salvador / Watling Island), Bahamas.**

Context & Nuance

• Total Spain-to-Landfall: **70 days** (including Canaries stopover).
• Return Voyage (1493): **~45 days** (Jan 16 – Mar 4) – slower, against westerlies, via Azores.
• Subsequent Voyages: 2nd (1493): 21 days (Canaries to Dominica). 3rd (1498): ~30 days. 4th (1502): ~20 days. **Experience + better routing = faster.**
• Navigation: **Dead reckoning, magnetic compass, quadrant (latitude), lead line.** No longitude. **Underestimated Earth's circumference** (used Ptolemy/Alfraganus: ~18,000 mi vs actual 24,900 mi) → expected Asia much sooner.

The **36-day open-ocean crossing** (Canaries to Bahamas) was a **remarkable feat of seamanship, luck, and favorable winds**—launching sustained European contact with the Americas.