The First English Ship That Sailed Around the World – The Golden Hinde
Ahoy, adventurers and welcome aboard of The Golden Hinde, the full-scale reconstruction of the very first English ship that sailed around the world.
Maybe The Golden Hinde is a reconstruction and is now operating as a ship museum, it has just as rich history as the original one.
The Original Ship and Sir Francis Drake
The ship originally was named as Pelican and circumnavigated the planet under the leadership of Sir Francis Drake between 1577 and 1580.
Elizabeth I secretly commissioned Sir Francis Drake to set off on an expedition against the Spanish colonies on the American Pacific coast. Drake sailed with five ships, but by the time he reached the Pacific Ocean in October 1578 only one had been left, Drake’s flagship the Pelican. Drake later renamed the Pelican to Golden Hind in honour of his patron Sir Christopher Hatton. (Source: https://www.goldenhinde.co.uk/ )
Sir Francis Drake was feared and was known as “El Draque” (The Dragon) by the Spanish in the Caribbean. Drake took significant part in the Anglo-Spanish war in 1587. He destroyed 30 Spanish ships assembled against the British. One year later, he was a vice admiral in the fleet that defeated the Spanish Armada.
(Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/drake_francis.shtml )
In 1595 Drake started a treasure hunting expedition to India but he never returned. He became severely ill and died on sea. He was burred at sea in a coffin in full armour.
Some still search for his coffin even today.
The Current Ship
Sadly, the original Golden Hinde was left in Deptford dockyard to decay in the 17th century.
The current ship was constructed by Loring Christian Norgaard, a Canadian architect, who spent years studying historical manuscripts and evidence referring to The Golden Hinde.
The replica was launched in the Spring of 1973 and had just as adventurous life as the original one.
The ship has crossed the Atlantic two times, circumnavigated the planet one time, run over 100,000 miles and appeared in movies such as Swashbuckler (1976) and Shogun starring Richard Chamberlain (1979).
The Golden Hinde Today
Today The Golden Hinde is operating as museum ship and visitors can discover the ship from bow to stern.
The ship can even be private hired for birthdays and other private events. Music events, quizzes and educational programmes are also available to book.
Volunteering
The ship is continuously maintained to preserve its condition. The Golden Hinde team is happy to accept volunteers with diverse skills. If you are interested in volunteering, email them to [email protected]
Where to Find The Golden Hinde?
St Mary Overie Dock, Cathedral Street, London, SE1 9DE
Admission fee:
Adults £5
Children (3 – 16) £5
Family of 4 £15
Under 3s Free
Both self-guided and guided tours are available. NO pre-booking necessary.
Enjoy your time. Fair winds and following seas!
Ready for your next adventure? Let’s sail to the marine oasis, St Katharine Docks and lose ourselves in the maze of ships and boats.