Ships at Jamestown Settlement, Williamsburg, Virginia

On December 20, 1606, three small wooden ships made their way across the Atlantic Ocean, into the Chesapeake Bay, and up the James River landing on May 13, 1607, to found what is the first permanent English settlement in the United States.  Jamestown Settlement's replicas of the Susan Constant, Godspeed, and Discovery are visitor favorites. 

The largest, the Susan Constant, had a deck length of 82 feet, beam width of 24 feet 10 inches, and carried 71 people and cargo; the Godspeed had a deck length of 65 feet 5 inches, beam width of 17 feet, and carried 52 people and cargo; and, the Discovery had a deck length of 50 feet 10 inches, a beam width of 14 feet, and carried 21 people and cargo.  The replicas can be toured each day.

On occasion, the ships sail to various destinations to take part in events.