Soon after the cloves were boarded, disaster struck—the Trinidad’s weakened hull could not handle the additional weight and split open. Knowing the Portuguese could arrive at any time, the captains decided to split their chances: the Victoria would leave immediately for Seville, and the Trinidad would leave once repaired. However, with the seasonal winds shifting, the Trinidad would not be able to follow the Victoria on a westward route back to Europe and had instead to head eastward toward Spain’s colonies in the America’s. The journey, which only started in April 1522 after months of repairs, proved to be an unsurmountable task. The ships and the crew’s spirits were crippled by storms, hunger, and disease. Broken, the Trinidad limped back to the Moluccas, where they were promptly seized by the Portuguese that had arrived in the meantime.