29. A Weird and Frustrating Series of Setbacks
On August 5th, 1620, the Mayflower and the Speedwell sailed from England to the New World. However, the Mayflower’s sister ship was unfortunately named, and was neither speedy nor well. The Speedwell began leaking, so the Pilgrims docked in Dartmouth for repairs. They set out again on August 21st, but after a few days at sea, the Speedwell started leaking again.
The voyage’s leaders concluded that the Speedwell was simply not up to crossing the Atlantic. So they decided to leave her in England, and sail to the New World in the Mayflower. After transferring supplies from the Speedwell, the Mayflower finally set out on September 16 — over a month behind schedule. It would be a tough voyage.