Mexicana ( ship ) The Mexicana was a topsail schooner ( Spanish " goleta " ) built in 1791 by the Spanish Navy at San Blas , New Spain . It was nearly identical to the " Sutil " , also built at San Blas later in 1791 . Both vessels were built for exploring the newly discovered Strait of Georgia , carried out in 1792 under Dionisio Alcalá Galiano , on the " Sutil " , and Cayetano Valdés y Flores , on the " Mexicana " . During this voyage the two Spanish vessels encountered the two British vessels under George Vancouver , " HMS Discovery " and " Chatham " , which were also engaged in exploring the Strait of Georgia . The two expeditions cooperated in surveying the complex channels between the Strait of Georgia and Queen Charlotte Strait , in the process proving the insularity of Vancouver Island . After this first voyage the " Mexicana " continued to serve the San Blas Naval Department , making various voyages to Alta California and the Pacific Northwest coast . Construction . To meet the need for additional ships following the 1789 Nootka Crisis , Juan Francisco de la Bodega y Quadra , commandant of the San Blas Naval Base , augmented his small fleet . Four new vessels built , the schooners " Valdés " and " Activa " , and the twin schooners " Mexicana " and " Sutil " . Construction of the " Mexicana " began on 27 March 1791 , under the direction of the shipyard " constructor " Manuel Bastarrachea and according to Bodega y Quadra ' s specifications . The " Mexicana " was launched on 21 May 1791 . The " Mexicana " was long with a beam of , a depth of hold of , and a tonnage of 33 " toneladas " . The vessel ' s draft was , forward , and aft . The keel ' s length was . Although the Spanish word " goleta " is usually translated as schooner , the rigging of the " Mexicana " was changed a number of times , from a topsail schooner to a modified brig and other variations . In addition to a set of fore - and - aft sails the " Mexicana " carried main - mast and fore - mast courses , topsails , and staysail s . The vessel also carried spanker , jib , and flying jib sails . Career . In late 1790 Alessandro Malaspina arrived in Acapulco . He sailed to Alaska and Nootka Sound , then returned to Acapulco . On the return voyage he met Juan Carrasco and heard about the discovery of the Strait of Georgia in July 1791 . Malaspina knew it was vital that another expedition be dispatched to explore the Strait of Georgia more fully . Malaspina ' s corvette s , " Descubierta " and " Atrevida " , were unsuitable and not available , since they were to sail to the Philippines . Once back at Acapulco , Malaspina discovered that the Viceroy of New Spain , the Count of Revillagigedo , was already preparing to send another exploration voyage to the Strait of Juan de Fuca . He had assigned the newly finished " Mexicana " , under Francisco Antonio Mourelle , to the task . Malaspina proposed sending the " Sutil " as well , which was under construction at San Blas , and also that instead of sending Mourelle two of his own officers , Galiano and Valdés , should be given the assignment . On the suggestion of Malaspina , and acceptance of Viceroy Revillagigedo , Mourelle , who had been given command of the " Mexicana " was replaced with one of Malaspina ' s officers , Cayetano Valdés y Flores , while another , Dionisio Alcalá Galiano , was given command of the newly built " Sutil " . Both were " capitanes de fragata " ( Frigate Captain s ) . Galiano was given overall command of the expedition . Additional personnel from the Malaspina Expedition were assigned as well . Secundino Salamanca and Juan Vernacci were made second in command of each vessel . José Cardero was also detached and assigned to the " Mexicana " . The " Mexicana " had a complement of 21 , including two commissioned officers , one soldier , three petty officers and tradesmen , seven seaman gunners , six seamen , one servant , and the artist José Cardero . The " Sutil " and " Mexicana " were transferred to Acapulco in late December 1791 where they were fitted out for exploration under Malaspina ' s supervision . Both vessels handled poorly . There were many defects in their construction and both required strengthening . Carpenters made various fixes and alterations in Acapulco , but the vessels were still defective and further alterations later were made at Nootka Sound . They sailed from Acapulco on 8 March 1792 and arrived at the Spanish post at Nootka Sound , on the west coast of Vancouver Island , on 12 May 1792 . On April 14 , far from land , the " Mexicana " broke its mainmast . A rough and partial repair was made at sea , allowing the expedition to continue . Both the " Sutil " and the " Mexicana " were refitted and repaired at Nootka with the help of Bodega y Quadra , who had been assigned commandant at Nootka . Among other things , the " Mexicana " was fitted with a new mainmast and foremast . To repair the vessels Bodega y Quadra had them hauled into a small cove the Spanish called Caleta de Santa Cruz or Campo Santo . In early June the two vessels entered the Strait of Juan de Fuca and made their way through the San Juan Islands and into the Strait of Georgia . Near the mouth of the Fraser River the Spaniards encountered the two ships of the Vancouver Expedition , which were also engaged in exploring the same area . The two expeditions shared information and sailed together for a while . They parted ways in the Discovery Islands and returned to Nootka Sound separately . Vancouver returned via Discovery Passage while Galiano and Valdés sailed via Cordero Channel . After arriving at Nootka Sound , the " Sutil " and " Mexicana " returned to San Blas , arriving there on 25 November 1792 . Vancouver , who had plenty of opportunity to examine the " Sutil " and " Mexicana " , wrote about them critically . He was " astonished " that such vessels " were employed to execute a service of such a nature " . And that the vessels ' " apartments just allowed room for sleeping places on each side , with a table in the intermediate place , at which four persons , with some difficulty , could sit , and were , in all other respects , the most ill calculated and unfit vessels which could possibily be imagined for such an expedition . " After the voyage of Galiano and Valdés , both the " Mexicana " and " Sutil " continued to serve the San Blas Naval Department for some years . In 1793 the " Mexicana " sailed north to explore the Columbia River and determine whether its mouth would be a good place for a new Spanish base . Under Juan Martínez y Zayas , the " Mexicana " sailed first to Neah Bay on the south coast of the Strait of Juan de Fuca , where the " Activa " was supposed to rendezvous but failed to arrive . So the " Mexicana " went south to the mouth of the Columbia River and entered . Due to the dangerous bar it was determined an unsuitable place for a base . The " Sutil " was at Nootka Sound in 1796 . The " Mexicana " might have been at Nootka in 1797 .