Susan Constant, Godspeed & Discovery

At Jamestown Settlement, come aboard re-creations of the three ships that brought America’s first permanent English colonists to Virginia in 1607.

Put yourself in the shoes of the original colonists and sailors to learn about the ships’ square-rigged masts, tonnage and cargo, as well as what shipboard life was like for the first 104 men and boys.

Whether on the pier or on the main deck, historical interpreters share the four-and-a-half-month voyage from England in December 1606 to Jamestown in May 1607, and periodically demonstrate knot-tying, sail-raising and 17th-century piloting and navigation.

View the ships at Jamestown Settlement

While one of the ships sails periodically from Jamestown Settlement to participate in commemorative and community events and hosts maritime outreach educational programs for students, most of the time all three can be seen at the museum. Costumed interpreters assist visitors in exploring the ships and learning about the 1607 voyage and 17th-century shipboard activities.

A brief history of the three ships

The original Susan Constant, Godspeed and Discovery set sail from London on December 20, 1606, bound for Virginia. The ships carried 105 passengers and 39 crew members on the four-month transatlantic voyage. A 17th-century source noted that a total of 71 people were aboard the Susan Constant, 52 aboard the Godspeed and 21 aboard the Discovery.

The expedition was sponsored by the Virginia Company of London, a business venture that had been organized to form a colony in Virginia. The fleet reached the Virginia coast in late April and, after two weeks of inland waterway exploration, arrived at the selected settlement site on May 13, 1607.

At the time of the voyage, the Susan Constant was about one year old and was leased from Dapper, Wheatley, Colthurst and other partners. The origins of the Godspeed and the Discovery are uncertain. The Susan Constant and Godspeed returned to England in June 1607, while the Discovery remained in Virginia and was used for Chesapeake Bay and coastal exploration.

Ship spotlight: Susan Constant, Jamestown Settlement’s flagship

The Susan Constant, the largest of the three re-created ships at Jamestown Settlement and typically the most popular, has been around for more than 30 years. The 120-ton vessel was constructed in 1990 at the museum along the shores of the James River, where a sprawling lumberyard dotted the landscape. The ship was commissioned for $2.1 million, from the Commonwealth of Virginia, for research, architectural design, materials and construction.

Building the re-creation of the Susan Constant

Under the leadership of Eric Speth, director of Maritime Services for the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, Stanley Potter, a naval architect, and Allen Rawl, the master shipbuilder, a team of 70 craftsmen brought maritime historian Brian Lavery’s research to life over the course of a little more than a year. After a fanfare christening and launch on a chilly morning in December 1990, the Susan Constant underwent sea trials in February 1991 and was officially commissioned on April 25, 1991.

The ship’s design

The ship has a main deck, a ‘tween deck and a hold. Both the main deck and the ‘tween deck, which is six feet from floor to ceiling, are accessible to visitors. Located at the front of the main deck underneath the forecastle deck are a cook room and three cabins for seamen. Officers’ quarters on the opposite end of the deck include a great cabin and three smaller cabins. Officers navigate the ship from the quarterdeck, located above their quarters.

The ship’s masts and rigging

The Susan Constant has three masts and is square-rigged, with rectangular-cut sails set at right angles to the keel line. Located under the center and tallest mast, the mainmast, is a 1607 sixpence representing the year of the historic voyage from England to Virginia. A 1605 sixpence, representing the year in which the original ship was built, rests under the front, or foremast. A 1990 United States quarter dollar is under the rear, or mizzenmast. Each of the masts is equipped with a round platform, or “top,” from which sailors can work. The British national flag of 1607, which combines the English Cross of St. George and the Scottish Cross of St. Andrew, flies from the mainmast. The Cross of St. George, a traditional English flag dating from the Middle Ages, is flown on the other two masts.

The ship is equipped with a whipstaff for steering (wheels were not used until the early 18th century). Eight gunports, four on each side, are located in the ‘tween deck space. The original Susan Constant, a merchant ship, was equipped with cannon for self-defense. In the 17th century, this deck housed passengers and cargo. Visitors can look from the ‘tween deck into the hold, where cargo also was stored.

The Susan Constant — a “floating classroom” that has welcomed countless visitors aboard over the past three decades — is regularly seen moored at Jamestown Settlement alongside re-creations of the Godspeed and Discovery, designated “the official fleet of the Commonwealth” by the Virginia General Assembly.

Are you ready to step aboard these three ships? Secure your tickets today.