90 - Of the privileges that King Fernando awarded to all those who bought or built ships

Summary

The most noble King Fernando saw how great profit ensued from the blessed and advantageous ordinances he had thus established, both for himself and for all the people of the kingdom. Similarly, from the many wares that were imported and exported he gained many and very large duties. He also perceived that the profit that the foreign ships were earning from the freight would be better for his own people, and would bring much more honour to the country, provided there were in the land many ships which the king could have more quickly at his disposal, when they were needed for his service, than those from distant provinces. Therefore, so that men would have stronger motives to build them new or purchase them already built, whichever they found more to their advantage, he decreed that all those who built naos of over 100 tonéis burden could cut and bring to the city, from any forest belonging to the king, all the timber and masts that might be needed for these ships, without paying anything for this. Moreover, they should not pay duty on iron, sailcloth or other things that might be brought in from outside the kingdom for these ships.

He waived all the dues that he was to receive from those who bought and sold such ships already built. Likewise, for the owners of the said ships, for the first voyage in which they departed with cargo from his kingdom, he waived all taxes on the merchandise they were carrying, whether on salt or any other goods, both cargo tax, land transport tax and all other duties, both on the merchandise belonging to the owners of the ships and that belonging to other merchants. In addition, he gave the owners of the naos half of the one-tenth duty on all cloth and any other merchandise that they might bring on the first voyage from Flanders or other places, on their own goods as well as on those of others that they were transporting.