Taking Sail, Taking Chances

Taking Sail, Taking Chances. . On November 22, 1633, the Ark and the Dove set sail from Cowes on the Isle of Wright in England. Four months later, on March 25, 1634, both ships and approximately 140 passengers sailed up the Potomac River to begin the settlement of a colony to be called Maryland. Their route took them south past the Canary Islands near the coast of Africa and then across the Atlantic to Barbados. Here the two ships met for the first time in two months, the Dove having been thought lost during a storm shortly after their departure. The winter passage of the voyage proved successful as it avoided hurricanes and heat in the tropics. The colonists arrived at a good time for their first planting season in the New World., All of the approximately 140 passengers sailed to Maryland on the Ark (far right), which was the larger of the two ships. The Dove (right) was laden with supplies but her smaller size would provide a maneuverable vessel for exploring and trading in shallow bays and rivers., A ship the size of the original Dove would accommodate a crew of about seven to nine men. The officers' quarters allowed some privacy, as well as space to do chartwork and to keep records., The common sailors had to fend for themselves among the coils of rope and sails, often in the most cramped and wettest part of the ship. There was little time for leisure activities., "...with the other Gentlemen adventurers, and their servants...imbarked themselves for the voyage, in the good ship called the Arke, of 300. tunne and upward, which was attended by his Lordships Pinnace, called the Dove, of about 50. tunne." , A Relation of Maryland, 1635