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05-12-2010, 14:11
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#1
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Moderator
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Denmark (Winter), Helsinki (Summer); Cruising the Baltic Sea this year!
Boat: Cutter-Rigged Moody 54
Posts: 33,764
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Mayflower Routing
I was amazed to see that the Mayflower, a square rigged ship, sailed this way:
MayflowerHistory.com
to America in 1620. Isn't that against the prevailing winds at that latitude? Those square-riggers couldn't sail very close to the wind. How did they do it?
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05-12-2010, 14:30
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#2
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Senior Cruiser
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Thunder Bay, Ontario - 48-29N x 89-20W
Boat: (Cruiser Living On Dirt)
Posts: 49,139
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Although in coming from England to Cape Cod the Mayflower was sailing against the strong currents of the Gulf Stream as well as the stormy winds of the North Atlantic; she made the crossing in 66 days, which would average out to about 2 miles per hour.
The fastest clipper ships, of a century or more later, were only making a speed of about 3 miles per hour on this same route. On her return trip to England in the spring of 1621, Mayflower made the voyage in 31 days, which would have been an average speed of about 4 miles per hour.
The Mayflower made an incredible voyage; but never made their intended destination (Virginia).
See ➥ The First Thanksgiving: Journey on the Mayflower
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Gord May
"If you didn't have the time or money to do it right in the first place, when will you get the time/$ to fix it?"
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05-12-2010, 14:53
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#3
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Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Baltimore, USA
Boat: Irwin Citation 39 'Chesagansett'
Posts: 159
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The other issue is that that taking a more sensible southern route would have been dangerous since Spain and Britain didn't get along all that well.
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05-12-2010, 15:07
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#4
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Tiverton, RI, USA
Boat: ex-Tartan 40
Posts: 619
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Slight thread drift, but for those interested in the topic, Nathaniel Philbrick's Mayflower is a wonderful read. Despite growing up in the neighborhood, I learned things about 17th century Plymouth that were revelations. A worthy addition to the holiday wish list.
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- David
S/V Sapphire Tartan 40 #71
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05-12-2010, 18:18
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#5
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Nearly an old salt
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Lefkas Marina ,Greece
Boat: Bavaria 36
Posts: 22,801
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My understanding is that in 1620 James I and Spain were at peace on fact James was trying to get the infanta in Spain to marry the prince of Wales as a method of preventing war. It didn't work and relations with Spain deteriorated after 1621
Dave
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Interested in smart boat technology, networking and all things tech
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05-12-2010, 19:19
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#6
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cat herder, extreme blacksheep
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: furycame alley , tropics, mexico for now
Boat: 1976 FORMOSA yankee clipper 41
Posts: 18,967
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my sailing genes go straight back to 8 families from mayflower-- bradford, fuller, doty, and 5 others. for bradford, i am first born of first born of first born on back to gods and gov bradford, also sam fuller, the colony physician--he was on my father side-- dad had 3 families and mom claims 5
there are some fascinating reads on this subject.
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05-12-2010, 19:32
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#7
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Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: St. Georges, Bda
Boat: Rhodes Reliant 41ft
Posts: 4,131
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Gee Zee !!!
Are you sayin---like--we're in the company of --uh--royalty
__________________
so many projects--so little time !!
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05-12-2010, 19:46
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#8
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cat herder, extreme blacksheep
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: furycame alley , tropics, mexico for now
Boat: 1976 FORMOSA yankee clipper 41
Posts: 18,967
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i dont think royalty is the right word tho--LOL.. that is for the other part of the family tree...YIPES
mom has a set of white, thin books i dont remember the name of-- shows how the interrelations of all were-- like -- was my own first cousin 12 times over in the first generations of that colony;.LOL they didnt mate with injuns-- i didnt know i was kinda related to eastman of kodak, noah webster, christopher reeve, and a few others....i know about the others..i did the charts with my grandmother-- she was a fanatic.
now-- that info and 5 dollar bill will get me a cup of coffee......
those folks had to sail-- realllly SAIL that big hulk of a ship....impressive--also is impressive when you see the tiny lil dock that original mayflower sailed from. she wasnt big by any stretch. had low freeboard also.
when i was perusing that dock, satchmo's death was publicised all over tv---1971--
oh--the rest of my sailing genes are from an irish orphan who came over in around 1850 from ireland-- at age 11. when that orphan was grown, he founded great lakes shipping and brought the masons to chi-town...
is amazing the things one learns when one has old ones as companions-- my great grandparents were still kicking in my youth.
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07-12-2010, 23:37
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#9
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Moderator
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Denmark (Winter), Helsinki (Summer); Cruising the Baltic Sea this year!
Boat: Cutter-Rigged Moody 54
Posts: 33,764
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OK, this is all really interesting, but we still don't know -- how did they do it? A fat square-rigged ship bashing upwind AND against a current for 3000 miles? It doesn't seem possible.
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08-12-2010, 14:33
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#10
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cat herder, extreme blacksheep
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: furycame alley , tropics, mexico for now
Boat: 1976 FORMOSA yankee clipper 41
Posts: 18,967
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dockhead
OK, this is all really interesting, but we still don't know -- how did they do it? A fat square-rigged ship bashing upwind AND against a current for 3000 miles? It doesn't seem possible.
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they had gods on their side.
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08-12-2010, 14:39
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#11
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Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Central California
Boat: M/V Carquinez Coot
Posts: 3,782
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I have a bloodline going back to the Mayflower, but it has mightily thinned out over the generations.
Mark Pierce-Winslow
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08-12-2010, 15:23
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#13
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Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: On Board, just above the water
Boat: Camano Troll 31'
Posts: 1,201
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Go much past 6 or 7 generations and we is all family.
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08-12-2010, 15:26
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#14
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Gabriola Island & Victoria, British Columbia
Boat: Cooper 416 Honeysuckle
Posts: 6,933
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Just a thought ...
The link that Gord posted combined with the description in the original link would indicate they were blown off course mid-Atlantic by the prevaling winds. At a certain point wouldn't they pick up the Labrador current and prevailing winds which would have then pushed them south again?
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“We are the universe contemplating itself” - Carl Sagan
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08-12-2010, 15:49
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#15
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cat herder, extreme blacksheep
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: furycame alley , tropics, mexico for now
Boat: 1976 FORMOSA yankee clipper 41
Posts: 18,967
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sea gods wanted them where they went.
how ye doin cousin mark....
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