The Speedwell - The Ship that Never Sailed
Hindsight is 20/20, and the part of the story about the ship that never sailed is quite intriguing.
Several of the Pilgrims that started the journey never made it aboard The Mayflower. Though the final departure of The Mayflower was from Plymouth, England, the original departure of the Pilgrims was from the Dutch port Delfshaven. Preparations and plans for the voyage by those with whom they had agreed to make those plans had not been going well, nor fast. As a result, the Pilgrims in Holland had sold belongings and purchased a 60 ton vessel named the Speedwell. It was less than 50 feet long, but considered long enough to cross the Atlantic. Its size would allow for exploration and fishing along the new coastline. The Pilgrims also hired a captain and crew who agreed to stay on for a year and help with the settlement.
The captain, known as "Mr. Reynolds," and the crew had the masts of Speedwell replaced with larger masts for the voyage. The Pilgrim's farewell to their family and friends was so powerfully touching at the boarding of the Speedwell that residents of Delfshaven talked about it for years and years. July 22, 1620 the Pilgrims set sail at the going out of the tide for Southampton, England, where they were to meet up with other Separatists and crew, and importantly, the other vessel that would be their sister ship for the voyage.
Fortunately, by that time, the agreed upon arrangements had been made and The Mayflower was headed from London to Southampton as well. Arrangements were not smooth in Southamption. The Pilgrims met up with unexpected debts that had been incurred without permission. They had to sell off some of their provisions to settle debts. Of significance as well, the Speedwell had leaked on its route thusfar and required repairs. Not to mention, the Speedwell had proved anything but "speedy." Negotiations, settlements, and repairs kept the Pilgrims in Southampton until August 15th.
Making it to the New World before fall storms and in time to establish themselves before winter was of utmost importance and the Pilgrims felt the pressure of the calendar. However, within a few days, bad news was apparent. One record states the Speedwell was "as open and leaky as a sieve." The ships were forced to return to Dartmouth, England, just 75 miles south of Southampton. Keep in mind these people were confined to their ships as their residence and they were eating up their supplies each day.
The plaque at Dartmouth reads: Here, off Bayard's Cove, the Mayflower with London colonists and the Speedwell with Leyden pilgrims - some 122 people in all - lay anchor from August 23 to about August 31, 1620.
Finally departed from Dartmouth, the Pilgrims must have experienced a new low when, once again, the Speedwell started to leak. It was now early September and they were considerably behind schedule. Though they were two hundred miles out to sea, they had no choice but to return to Plymouth, England, just 50 miles south of Dartmouth. What torture it must have been to make the decision to abandon the Speedwell, not only as an investment, but also as a critical part of their future success in their new land for fishing and exploration. Perhaps most devastating was the fact that all those aboard the Speedwell could not make it onto the Mayflower. Can you imagine being one of those Pilgrims to be left behind after you had come that far?!
The Pilgrims had already been cooped up for weeks and their provisions were considerably fewer than required for a trans-Atlantic journey, yet they sailed away from their homeland for the last time on September 6, 1620. What incredible faith! Whittled down to 102 passengers, the world-changing voyage had begun.
This is where Paul Harvey would come in with "the rest of the story."
The Speedwell's captain, Mr. Reynolds may have played perplexed and baffled every time the Speedwell's repairs failed, but he would have known that the larger masts he had put in place before leaving Holland were too large for the vessel. Mariners know that masts too tall and crowded with sail would move the ship through the water, but would also apply torque to the hull. Overmasting would cause an excess of strain opening up the seams between the planks which would cause leakage. By all measures, Mr. Reyolds had sabbotaged the journey. As William Bradford recorded, the Speedwell, shortly after being abandoned by the Pilgrims, was refitted and sold and "made many voyages...to the great profit of her owners."
The Pilgrims were the kind of people that believed everything, even unfortunate circumstances, happen for a reason. Forcing the Pilgrims, the Strangers, and the hired crew to be together through all the storm and strife of the treacherous journey brought to the surface the critical need to set aside differences and work together. It was under such extenuating circumstances that they realized the need for a democratic government. Without the loss of the Speedwell, there may have never been a Mayflower Compact.
https://www.devonheritage.org/Places/Dartmouth/ThaMayflowerleavesDartmouth.htm
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