Dictionary of source types

The Rol de Navegación was one of the documents that every ship had to carry on board. This document had the format of a book with the pages printed in accordance with common standards and which were filled out by hand by the port authorities of each port. In the case of commercial navigation, the book was made up of three main parts. A first part with the ship's affiliation data, which allowed it to be identified, with its name, tonnage, place of registration, and the names of the owner and captain, among other information. The second part contained the arrivals and departures of each port, with their dates, and with information on the cargo transported. Finally, a list of the crew was included, with information on their personal information and also the dates and places of embarkation and disembarkation. The document was being filled in and when the part referring to navigation or data on the crew was completed, it had to be replaced by another.