<P> Approximately 65 passengers embarked the Mayflower in the middle of July 1620 at either Blackwall or Wapping on the River Thames . The ship then proceeded down the Thames into the English Channel and then on to the south coast of England to anchor at Southampton Water . She waited there for a rendezvous on July 22 with the Speedwell, which was coming from Holland with English separatist Puritans, members of the Leiden congregation who had been living in Holland to escape religious persecution in England . </P> <P> Both ships set sail for America around August 5, but the Speedwell sprang a leak shortly after, and the two ships were brought into Dartmouth for repairs . They made a new start after the repairs, and they were more than 200 miles (320 km) beyond Land's End at the southwestern tip of England when Speedwell sprang another leak . It was now early September, and they had no choice but to abandon the Speedwell and make a determination on her passengers . This was a dire event, as the ship had wasted vital funds and was considered very important to the future success of their settlement in America . Both ships returned to Plymouth, where some of the Speedwell passengers joined the Mayflower and others returned to Holland . The Mayflower then continued on her voyage to America, and the Speedwell was sold soon afterwards . </P> <P> Mayflower carried 102 passengers plus a crew of 25 to 30 officers and men, bringing the total to approximately 130 . According to William Bradford, Speedwell was refitted and "made many voyages...to the great profit of her owners ." He also suggested that the Speedwell's master used "cunning and deceit" to abort the voyage, possibly by causing leaks in the ship and motivated by a fear of starving to death in America . </P> <P> In early September, western gales began to make the North Atlantic a dangerous place for sailing . The Mayflower's provisions were already quite low when departing Southampton, and they became lower still by delays of more than a month . The passengers had been on board the ship for this entire time, and they were worn out and in no condition for a very taxing, lengthy Atlantic journey cooped up in the cramped spaces of a small ship . But the Mayflower sailed from Plymouth on September 6, 1620 with what Bradford called "a prosperous wind". </P>

Where did the pilgrims go before they sailed for the new world