Very interesting and informative.  While I was aware that the trans-Atlantic
voyage took from 4 weeks under the best of conditions to as many as 10 (and
even more, should the ship end up in the Sargasso Sea  - the "Bermuda High")
, I had not seen any estimate of average speeds of such ships.  Thanks a lot

Paul  
-********

Dear American Historians--
Delighted you are interested in such. Horse travel depended on the  weather.

For example, in snow, the snow balled up in clods under the horse's  feet
and had to be removed frequently. Mud was a real problem in the rain or
shortly thereafter.  Roads were scarce and became what is known as
stagecoach roads on which most traveled.
 
The Mayflower crossing the Atlantic traveled at about 2 miles per hour. See
my article concerning this at
_http://www.sail1620.org/discover_feature_the_mayflower_at_sea_1620.shtml_ 
(http://www.sail1620.org/discover_feature_the_mayflower_at_sea_1620.shtml)

 

The Mayflower in the riptide
and shallows off Monomoy Point,  Cape Cod Painting by Mike Haywood
 
Article by Edgar Sherman
"The distance from the departure point in Southampton,  England to Boston,
MA, is 3236 statute miles (equal to 2812 nautical miles). The  entire sea
journey for the Pilgrims took 66 days. There are 1584 hours in 66  days. The
ship, therefore traveled at a speed of 2 miles an hour. An average  person
can walk 4 miles an hour. Distance at sea is designated in nautical  miles.
One nautical mile is approximately 1 1/2 statute miles. Sea speed is
designated in knots.  One knot equals 1 nautical mile per hour. Using sea
terms, the average speed of the Mayflower, traveling across the cold, wet
Atlantic, was 1.77 knots."
 
Kind regards,
Edgar Sherman of Brewster, Cooke and  Warren


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