Eleven-year-old Tyler Garrett would have jumped onto the Godspeed 400 years ago and sailed to Virginia without a second thought.
He would have liked to have seen the vast waters of the Atlantic Ocean and feel the wind—that is, when there was wind.
“It would have been a cool adventure,“ he said after touring the 65-foot reproduction with his brother, Dale, his mother, Cindy Garrett, and friends.
“What if you had fallen off the boat?“ asked his friend Lauren O’Reilly, 7, who also toured the Godspeed and the Lady Maryland with her 11-year-old brother, Sean, and mother, Nancy O’Reilly. The O’Reillys and Garretts live in Mechanicsville.
“That would have been the end of my adventure,“ Tyler answered without hesitation.
Touring the Godspeed and the Lady Maryland ships to get an idea of what the original English settlers went through as they sailed to Jamestown and then arrived in Richmond on May 24, 1607, proved popular for about 3,000 people yesterday at the kickoff of the three-day Rock the Boat event at the Richmond Intermediate Terminal.
The activities began with a welcoming ceremony at 11 a.m. featuring performances by Virginia Indians, the Richmond Symphony and the Richmond Police Choir.
Today, the Pride of Baltimore, the Schooner Virginia and the Kalmar Nyckel will be open to the public in addition to the Godspeed and the Lady Maryland from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. The Fuzz Band and The Roots will perform from 8-10 p.m.
Event organizer Tracey Reed Leverty said that people should follow the signs leading to the parking area. Many people are stopping short of the Intermediate Terminal and walking as far as a mile when plenty of parking is set aside closer to the event, she said.
The Garrett and the O’Reilly families had a hard time imagining how 52 men, boys and crew members made the trip on the Godspeed.
“I think that if it had had two more men it would have sunk,“ Lauren O’Reilly said.
Cindy Garrett said she took the children out of school for the living history trip.
“I think this is pretty awesome,“ she said. “I think this is a wonderful addition to what they are trying to do with the waterfront.“
Bernice Chu and Jared Halpio, students at Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School, sat comfortably on the Godspeed. Chu wore a T-shirt with “Thank you John Ratcliffe” written on it. Halpio wore one that said “Thank you John Rolfe.“
Chu and Halpio said they had studied about Ratcliffe, who was captain of the Discovery, and Rolfe, who married Pocahontas, the Powhatan Indian princess.
“I’m glad I lived an interesting life,“ Chu said, speaking as Ratcliffe. “I had a puppy. That’s the only thing I’m proud of.“
Later at the Richmond Day festival at Libby Hill Park in Church Hill, people enjoyed food, performances by Virginia’s Upper Mattaponi and Chickahominy Indian tribes and 17th-century sea chanteys by The Press Gang.
Richmond Mayor L. Douglas Wilder and Marc Cranfield-Adams, mayor of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames in England, along with Chickahominy Chief Stephen R. Adkins and Upper Mattaponi Chief Ken Adams were special guests in a ceremony celebrating the naming of Richmond.
They stood in front of a crowd at the park’s zenith with their backs to the panoramic view of the James River’s curve and the park’s steep slope, which are the same features found along the Thames River in England, which inspired the city’s name.
“You must do all you can to preserve this special [view] because it’s too precious to lose it,“ Cranfield-Adams told Wilder.
Contact staff writer Juan Antonio Lizama at
or (804) 649-6513.
Just for future reference, I’m not Italian and my name is mispelled here. I’m actually mexican, and it’s Hal-*pin*, as in a pin of Hal. silly Juan Lizama!
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Not Jared Halpio of
August 13, 2007 - 10:05 PM
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I really like this story but i was wondering if you REALLY knew anything about John Ratcliffe? If you do, could you contact me at
? Please!!! I really want to learn about him. He is my ancestor. Thanks and great story. It’s interesting!
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of NC
October 02, 2007 - 1:54 PM
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Your post is very informative
Thank you
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Memory Foam Slippers of USA
March 20, 2008 - 8:13 AM
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Touring Godspeed should have been a Adventurous with lots of new events and performances by Virginia Indians. Get more information from http://www.indiaovenlasvegas.com.
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Climent of Toronto
May 12, 2008 - 3:02 AM
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I think this is pretty awesome. This is a wonderful addition to what they are trying to do with the waterfront.
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Toronto Lofts of Toronto
June 05, 2008 - 8:43 PM
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I love adventures!
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Abdel of
June 10, 2008 - 2:46 AM
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Great article & great writing. Makes me wanna go out and learn all I can about this great country.
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Atlantic City of Atlantic City
June 12, 2008 - 1:59 PM
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“You must do all you can to preserve this special [view] because it’s too precious to lose it,” Cranfield-Adams told Wilder
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Sanat of london
June 24, 2008 - 4:30 AM
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Chu and Halpio said they had studied about Ratcliffe, who was captain of the Discovery, and Rolfe, who married Pocahontas, the Powhatan Indian princess.
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modelleri of london
June 28, 2008 - 6:32 AM
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great post buddy!
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עיצובים of fl
June 29, 2008 - 1:50 PM
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This is well written I will read other stories of yours
thanks J
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forum of usa
July 01, 2008 - 11:04 AM
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I would love to hear more about this .
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Constantine of Jordan, Sheffield
July 03, 2008 - 6:05 AM
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Yes. Very good post! worth to visit!
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Zenon of Kiribati, Shanghai
July 03, 2008 - 7:52 AM
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Juan, I like this story. It’s good stuff!
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Jen of LasVegas,NV
July 13, 2008 - 4:24 AM
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Where there is a Will there is way.
we must stand on our points firmly. The moral of the story is wonderful.
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Prasala of
July 16, 2008 - 10:18 AM
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Interesting story.
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Date of USA
July 18, 2008 - 11:33 AM
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I agree with them.. you inspired me with you article
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PC satellite TV of
July 19, 2008 - 11:55 AM
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Just for future reference, I’m not Italian and my name is mispelled here. I’m actually mexican, and it’s Hal-*pin*, as in a pin of Hal. silly Juan Lizama!
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petition of
July 28, 2008 - 9:43 PM
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very well written. I wish I had such a writing talent.
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עיצוב את of IL
August 02, 2008 - 2:34 PM
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Thanks for the great lookback. I never knew that the town had such a chequered history.
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Mercedes of
August 02, 2008 - 3:03 PM
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Thank you, this material is brought to favorites - my wife is very interested in the topic, she is now on leave as the return be sure to read this post. It will be very interesting.
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Black of USA
August 07, 2008 - 8:53 AM
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comments is at the sole discretion of this Web site and subject to our Terms and Conditions of Use Agreement. By posting to this forum, you assume responsibility for your communications and the consequences of posting them. Comments must not be obscene, profane
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modelleri of ist
August 07, 2008 - 12:11 PM
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Great stuff.. This was of major importance to a history buff like me.
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Mary of
August 11, 2008 - 9:19 AM
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Oh, the good old age of pirates and sea tales. If I had lived in those days, I would have surely been a sailor.
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satellite tv of
August 20, 2008 - 10:55 AM
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Was the comment from a living ancester of John Radcliffe for real?
What are the chanes of that?
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Dr Van Sales of
August 26, 2008 - 2:29 PM
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Sounds like a fascinating event - it is held annually?
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Sanford Brown of
August 26, 2008 - 5:55 PM
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This is very interesting and an excellent lesson regarding history.
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Golfer Jill of
August 31, 2008 - 6:00 AM
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I am also wondering if the comment about John Radcliffe relative is real. I hope so. I just did a fmailiy tree and it is a lot of fun.
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Pennsylvania of Erie Pennsylvania
September 03, 2008 - 12:37 PM
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Your article is very much inspiring . I love this story.It is really good tale to recollect history. i came to many new information reading this article. Thank you.
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Rathna of India
September 27, 2008 - 9:51 AM
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great post… very insightful!
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tom of
October 01, 2008 - 12:06 PM
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Great story it must have been some boat to be able to hold all those people and a great adventure for the children.
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Luton of UK
November 05, 2008 - 9:52 AM
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Very excited and thrilled to read about the adventure.I like the way of presentation of the article.Fine integration.And you have conveyed good message to the readers through this story.
http://atlanticcity.com
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jessica of
November 21, 2008 - 9:54 PM
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I must confess this is the first instance when i got familiar with this chapter of American history, I am sure going to read more, and get more informed about it.
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archie of NV
December 10, 2008 - 1:28 AM
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This post is not only interesting, but it is self motivating too. thanks for the information.
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Smith Weil-Sandiego Personal Injury lawyers of San Diego
January 23, 2009 - 3:14 AM
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Wow, nice to see that our history is so adventures, what i can conclude is this that Adventure is same in all eras the only thing which changes are its resources.
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Marco-Iowapersonalinjurylawyers of Iowa
January 28, 2009 - 3:50 AM
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