María silenciosa

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Hi! Did you know that our group with great content about the film and just about working at sea has existed on the VK website for many years?

What is our group all about? It’s a question we get asked a lot. It began as a creative space — filled with images of the sea, seagulls, ships, and fanfiction. We shared seafaring yarns, news, and all sorts of fascinating things. Over the years, though, it’s developed its own character — like a ship growing barnacles — and now it’s often packed with pure maritime content. Essentially, it’s a community to read, discover, and share a laugh. Or perhaps a tear

This is our simple, uncomplicated life at sea — sometimes joyful, sometimes tough and sorrowful.

Check it out VK: @silentmaryesp

Here we’ve decided to publish posts from our group. We’ll sort them by year to make it easier. One post will be an old one from the group’s collection, the other will be a fresh one.

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A short break from the digital world. Here’s a real ghost ship with an Aegis system on board

I’m the captain of this ghost ship, and I’m staring down a heavy moral crossroads: do I keep climbing the ranks, or is it time to draw the line? I need to make a choice by the end of my vacation: should I take the new position or not? But I have a strong feeling that, on top of the operational work, I’ll also end up with a heap of administrative tasks...

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Let's get ahead of the comic book story a bit. I just really like this art 😊

The story is about how the evil spirit of the sea tries to be human and succeeds. But not always

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There’s been no rain in Ferrol for a couple of days now. With the humidity so high, even I feel like I’m in a steam room. I’m coping with beer and the pool. Sometimes I take a walk along the beach. These are the obvious perks of being on vacation.

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"No sooner had we “died” for the second time in the depths of the waters than the curse returned, refusing to leave our crew. And we made the only decision that suited us all — to return to duty and do what we know best."

"We agree, Captain"

In fact, in Las Palmas (Spain), in 1720, an unusual ghost ship appeared, emerging from the fog before the astonished crowd. This event was perceived as a divine sign, explaining the fate of a warship that had vanished without a trace off the coast of Granada during the Dutch War (1672–1678). This incident is described in detail in the city’s church archives and supplemented by a letter from the Reverend Father Francisco de la Costa, who served as pastor in Las Palmas at that time.

In June 1720, around noon, a sudden and fierce storm blew in from the northwest. Then the sky cleared. An hour before sunset, the event occurred that Francisco de la Costa described as follows:

“…A ship, the same size as the one just mentioned, with identical sails and pennants (which fluttered against the wind), appeared in the air, coming from the entrance to our harbour, which lies to the south of the city. For half an hour, the ship remained in view, sailing through the harbour against the wind.

Many gathered to witness this great miracle of God. All the children exclaimed: ‘What a bold ship!’ Finally, before the crowd’s very eyes, the vessel approached the spot where the depth was ideal for that type of ship. And then it seemed as though someone had hurled a huge stone at it: the mainmast was struck down in a single blow and hung limp from the shrouds; then the mizzenmast was torn away; soon all the rigging fell into the sea. Next, the entire hull listed to one side; shortly after, the ship exploded and vanished into the fog, which immediately dispersed, leaving the air clear.

The stunned onlookers, while the ship was still visible, were able to make out its pennants and rigging and judge its size; therefore, most concluded: ‘This is that very ship, and we have witnessed its tragic end.’

The Reverend Father Francisco publicly declared: ‘It is by God’s grace that He has granted us this sight, to bring comfort to the unfortunate souls of the lost, for whom we have prayed so fervently and with such deep sorrow.’

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Today this beauty is celebrating her birthday! Happy holiday to all of us! This is truly an important day that we’ve been looking forward to. On June 26, 1668, the ship of the Spanish Armada — Santa Ana — was launched.

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Here we are, placing bets on how many posts our favorite author will make

Officer Santos is taking bets. 3, 4, or 5? 😊

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"Jack Sparrow didn’t even know what service he did for us… He gave us not only the agony of the curse. He gave us eternity".

"Centuries have passed. We changed along with the world — the wooden frame of the ghost ship turned into the steel hull of a destroyer. We faithfully carried out our duty at sea, in the name of the King and Spain. In the name of maritime safety, serving in the most perilous waters.

In the end, even our situation has its upsides. And downsides too. But I’ve always tried to stay close to people. To remain human. After all, we chose this path ourselves when we returned to our native shores in 1720, after that very mess with Barbossa and Sparrow".

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La lyrical digression

I really love the franchise and the Harry Potter worlds...

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And here is the first page of the comic and its translation!

"Could I ever have thought back in 1678, in the midst of the campaign against pirates in the Caribbean Sea, that I would live to see 2026? I couldn’t even imagine such numbers! Let alone have such bold fantasies! But life had other plans. Or rather, my own death did."

"For forty long years, we were held captive in the Devil’s Triangle — all because of a pirate named Jack Sparrow. We were cursed. Neither truly alive nor completely dead…"

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To the previous post and question about the garden

My mother also used to plant white roses. That’s why I have the warmest memories associated with these flowers.

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Well… During my vacation, while no new posts were showing up here, I headed to Moscow — the capital of Russia. I paid a visit to my friend Tatyana. Moscow’s an incredibly beautiful and vast city — I really love it. Though being so far from the sea is tough for me; I couldn’t help but feel drawn to the water. That’s where I truly feel at ease. Guess that’s just how it is for someone used to the sea — land travel’s a bit of a challenge for me.

Tsaritsyno in the photo.

This trip didn’t turn out the way I’d hoped — and that’s saying something, coming from a seafarer used to rough waters and stormy shores. Just before my flight, my friend broke her leg, and suddenly I was navigating a whole different kind of storm — Russian healthcare. I practically carried her to the X‑ray table, all the while cursing at the local roughnecks in my broken Russian, feeling about as out of my depth as a sailor dragged onto dry land.

To top it all off, my beloved cat, Leo, turned out to be seriously ill. Now I’m doing everything I can to help with his treatment and rehab. It’s tough, especially since he’s getting on in years — but I’ll weather this.

VDNH (Exhibition of Achievements of National Economy)

Last night, for the first time since winter, I lit a cigarette. I only ever used to smoke on voyages — during the roughest patches, you know, when the sea was throwing everything it had at us. I’d just stand there, watching the bluish smoke rings drift away, letting them pull my thoughts out of the storm.

I’ve always treated animals better than people. My heart aches for Leo. And I’ll never understand standing by and doing nothing. I’ll never get how someone can just be lazy when it comes to those they care about.

It’s inevitable — all the people and animals around me will leave, gone for good. I’m doomed to outlive them all, again and again. That’s why every loss feels like a fresh crack in the hull, you know? Each one cuts so deep.

And this is where Tatiana and I took a walk — and all the while, I kept picturing that park in Madrid, where I used to spend my time back when I was already the captain of my own ship. I joked that in my day, you could hear a Spanish Armada officer coming from miles away — you’d catch the chime of their weaponry long before you saw them.

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The storm that followed us from the Mediterranean Sea towards the Atlantic. We are home.

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A new take on Captain Salazar in our comic. The uniform of the Spanish Navy used to be blue. Of course, it didn’t look like it does in this frame, nor like it appears in the film. We’ve come up with something in between.

Looking at this picture, I immediately get a sense of swaying — it triggers memories of the vessel’s rocking motion at sea.

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Night. The moon. The watchmen are howling at the moon, while everyone else is glued to their phones and other gadgets — despite the threats of reprisals.

11,11 — discounts and sales. Some are browsing AliExpress, others are on eBay. Everyone indulges in their fantasies and vices to their heart’s content.

I head over to the cap to get him to scribble a squiggle on the note for the port authority — the one we’re planning to call at. The cap is enthusiastically messing around with his laptop. I ask what’s going on:

— So, what’s up?

— Nothing, Kotova. You’re free to go, — the commander exhales, having scrawled his signature for me.

— But come on, what is it? — I wheedle.

— A kitty, to relieve stress, — he replies. — I’m so sick of you, you little rascals. So sick of you! And you and Santos are leading the pack!

(Just to make it clear — in case anyone hasn’t seen such kitties… We’re thinking of chipping in as a crew to buy a wagonload of those “little buns”. 🤣)

Post from November 11, 2019

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The finish line to the house 🔥

Gibraltar

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Perhaps it’s my duty to clarify a few points. At the very least, to explain who Nicole Kotova is — the one mentioned in the post below. She’s the third officer on our frigate. And back in that distant 2019, she was still a young junior officer. A woman, a living person, serving on a ghost ship — one that still operates for the good of the King, of Spain, and for the safety of navigation around the world.

Four days and we’ll be home. We’ve been working for nine months in emergency mode.So please forgive me for counting the days.

We’ve been chased by a rain front all the way. Sometimes we get a few miles ahead of it, sometimes it catches up with us. It turns out rather amusing.

Overall, nothing interesting is happening. Apart from work, of course — and there’s a lot of it. Especially considering the number of documents I have to sort through and submit to the command.