From the author of “Shipmates: Before the Mast,” and “Juan Sebastian Elcano: You First Encircled Me,” and the coauthor of “Troubled Waters: The Legacy of USCG Hero BM3 Travis R. Obendorf,” comes “AYALA: The Coast of Spanish California.” 2025 marks the 250 year anniversary of the first European vessels to sail into San Francisco Bay. Captain Juan de Ayala, of the Supply Ship San Carlos, was one of four Naval officers who set sail from San Blas Mexico to explore the coast of California north of Monterrey. Their expedition, under the command of Bruno de Hezeta, was the last epic Spanish maritime exploratory mission. With orders to expel any foreign navies, presumably the Russians or English, Juan de Ayala's voyage and subsequent survey of San Francisco Bay became an iconic success for the authorities in New Spain and Seville. Men like Junipero Serra and Viceroy Bucareli would thereafter push for a comprehensive colonization of the area - the largest Spanish effort in California at any period. Overview: In 1775, an expedition was thrown together quickly to reconnoiter the Pacific Northwest coast, which was then the unexplored area north of Monterrey California. That effort included over 30,000 nautical miles during four separate voyages. It was the last great Spanish naval expedition. Of those voyages came an unknown Naval Officer named Juan de Ayala. This is the story of more than just Ayala. This is a cataloged journey of the seagoing expeditions on the California Coast and the shoreside outposts that depended on them. From Sir Francis Drake to the Manila Galleons, and Cabrillo to Gaspar de Portolá, and Junipero Serra and Juan Bautista de Anza, this academic narrative explores the interrelations of four centuries of Spain in California. AYALA is a maritime perspective, and an academic debate that concludes the early voyagers and California Supply ships are the foundational element to Spain’s presence in California. The missions, presidios and early colonists all depended on the success of the grueling and often fatal coastal supply routes. The men who captained and manned the supply ships had just as much influence on the outcome of California as those who have been pedestaled by 19th and 20th century traditional history. About the author: Bradley Angle is the author of Juan Sebastian Elcano (2021), Shipmates: Before the Mast (2019), and many online articles on maritime issues, including social justice issues fighting for the rights of Coast Guard Enlisted members. He coauthored "Troubled Waters: The Legacy of Coast Guard Hero BM3 Traivs Obendorf," with Laurie Powell in 2021. Bradley holds various degrees from Berkeley, including AAs in History, Global Studies, and English; an undergrad in Behavioral Science, and a Masters from San Francisco State University. He is working towards a USCG 1600GRT Master License and currently holds a 500grt Masters. He served in the UC Coast Guard from 2002 to 2007. And he currently teaches Navigation and Piloting Labs at California Maritime Academy. Bradley lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his two teenaged kids and frighteningly insane and disturbingly gross dog.