Calling history buffs: Ships rate of speed in the 17th century

[episodic]

I was doing a lesson plan in which I am going to talk about rate, distance, time, all that stuff - and I was linking it to what they are studying in history.

What was the AVERAGE rate of speed in miles per hour for ships in the 17th century - say the ships that landed at Plymouth Rock.

I was going to have the class compute the time under ideal conditions vs. how long the voyage actually took.

Suprisingly, I had difficulty finding this information in google - figured someone here would know. . .

 

[HappyPuppy]

Hmmm, the Mayflower took 65 days to cross the Atlantic. I'm sure that doesn't reflect what the possible average speed of the vessel is, though. There may have been doldrums and a lot of time is wasted by tacking.

 

[episodic]

Originally posted by: HappyPuppy
Hmmm, the Mayflower took 65 days to cross the Atlantic. I'm sure that doesn't reflect what the possible average speed of the vessel is, though. There may have been doldrums and a lot of time is wasted by tacking.

Right. That is what I was going to show the class - the optimum speed - how long it actually took them vs. the mathematical rate vs distance and time thing, and talk about it. . .

So if the average cruising speed was say 10 mph (I have no clue) that is why I am asking, and if at 10 mph they could have made it in 45 days (but it really took 65), the I'll let them hypothesize what happenend etc. I'll give me a little 'hook' to teach rate (we are in math class - and I struggle to keep em interested). . .

 

[Bulk Beef]

Adding "miles" to a google search doesn't help at all, for some reason.

 

[yankeesfan]

Under 15 knots. Knots is the correct term, BTW.

 

[episodic]

Originally posted by: yankeesfan
Under 15 knots. Knots is the correct term, BTW.

I know knots is - I have to introduce it in something familiar to students that have never seen a sailboat. . . Thanks I can find a convertor . . .

 

[SacrosanctFiend]

I don't know about heavy transport ships, but clippers averaged about 15knots (~17mph) fully loaded, and they were considered the fastest sail-ships. Hope that helps, somewhat.

 

[episodic]

Great first post Yes it helps immensely - I just found this conversion chart
10
Knots

=

11.5 mph



15 Knots

=

17.3 MPH

 

[preslove]

The problem is that they were dependent on wind currents. A ship on a voyage across the Atlantic could spend a week going up and down the coast before they caught a good wind east/west. The top speed, though, would be closing in on 13-15 knots, depending on the ship.

 

[episodic]

So I can teach fractions with this too - I will conviently say they averaged 15 and 3/4 miles per hour . . .

 

[Sundog]

I doubt the average speed was over 11 knots.

Link

 

[SacrosanctFiend]

Did some more digging. The Mayflower was a Phoenician Merchant Ship, and their average speed was 3-4 knots. The Mayflower's average speed for its cross-Atlantic trip was 1.77 knots, and had a maximum speed of 2.5knots. I'm sure you can do the conversions from there.

 

[yankeesfan]

Originally posted by: SacrosanctFiend
Did some more digging. The Mayflower was a Phoenician Merchant Ship, and their average speed was 3-4 knots. The Mayflower's average speed for its cross-Atlantic trip was 1.77 knots, and had a maximum speed of 2.5knots. I'm sure you can do the conversions from there.

good job

 

[HappyPuppy]

It was not uncommon for a sailing ship of those times to spend days, or even weeks, in the doldrums and making absolutely no headway at all.

 

[Viper GTS]

One knot = ~ 1.15 mph

Viper GTS

 

[Bulk Beef]

Originally posted by: HappyPuppy
It was not uncommon for a sailing ship of those times to spend days, or even weeks, in the doldrums and making absolutely no headway at all.

I think the doldrums are pretty equatorial. The Mayflower's route would have been well north of them.

 

[episodic]

Originally posted by: yankeesfan

Originally posted by: SacrosanctFiend
Did some more digging. The Mayflower was a Phoenician Merchant Ship, and their average speed was 3-4 knots. The Mayflower's average speed for its cross-Atlantic trip was 1.77 knots, and had a maximum speed of 2.5knots. I'm sure you can do the conversions from there.

good job

My own calculations showed that they traveled 4025 statute (not nautical) miles over 1584 hours showing an average rate of 2.54 miles an hour. . .

 

[episodic]

Yea the discussion is what I hope will drive the interest. I'm going to show them the top speed with good wind, then have them calculate the actual journey. . . then they can discuss why it is nowhere near the top speed. . . (something to get thier blood pressue and pulse up so I can move into proportion from there. . .) And it is a real life extension of a 'rate computation' . . .

 

[beer]

Originally posted by: HappyPuppy
Hmmm, the Mayflower took 65 days to cross the Atlantic. I'm sure that doesn't reflect what the possible average speed of the vessel is, though. There may have been doldrums and a lot of time is wasted by tacking.

That's why you power jibe and duck like hell :beer: