Initially, the plan was for the voyage to be made in two
vessels, the other being the smaller Speedwell, which had
transported some of the Pilgrims embarking on the voyage from
Delfshaven in the Netherlands to Southampton, England. The first
voyage of the ships departed Southampton, on August 5/15, 1620,
but the Speedwell developed a leak, and had to be refitted at
Dartmouth on August 17/27. On the second attempt, the ships
reached the Atlantic Ocean but again were forced to return to
Plymouth because of the Speedwell's leak. It would later be
revealed that there was in fact nothing wrong with the
Speedwell. The Pilgrims believed that the crew had, through
aspects of refitting the ship, and their behavior in operating
it, sabotaged the voyage in order to escape the year-long
commitment of their contract. After reorganization, the final
sixty-six day voyage was made by the Mayflower alone, leaving
from a site near to the Mayflower Steps in Plymouth, England on
September 6/16. With 102 passengers plus crew, eac