The Speedwell Leaks Again!

Having left Dartmouth on August 22nd 1620 the Mayflower and the Speedwell once again took to the seas in an attempt to cross the North Atlantic.

Unfortunately, having made it little more than 200 miles (320 km) beyond Land's End at the southwestern tip of England, the Speedwell sprang a third leak. It was now early September, and they had no choice but to abandon Speedwell and make a determination on her passengers. This was a dire event, as vital funds had been wasted on the ship, which was considered very important to the future success of their settlement in America. Both ships returned to Plymouth, where twenty Speedwell passengers joined the now overcrowded Mayflower, while the others returned to Holland.

Find out what happened next in our next blog on the voyage!

​This scene was built by James Pegrum as part of a series of models on the voyage of the Mayflower. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to see them first.