Burn Up the Road: Visiting the historic ship, Elizebeth II

The historic representative sailing ship, Elizabeth II, at Roanoke Island Festival Park, is a fascinating look in maritime history. The Elizabeth II is a square-sailed, three-masted barque modeled after the Elizabeth, which sailed from England in 1585.

I boarded the Elizabeth II on a self-guided tour. Most parts of the ship above and below deck were accessible. The ship is staffed with knowledgeable costumed interpreters. I don’t care for the so-called “living history” presentation model at historic sites, but the their knowledge and willingness to answers questions easily made up for this.

When boarding the 69-foot long vessel, one can only imagine what life was like on such a vessel crossing the Atlantic Ocean on a months-long voyage. For experienced sailors, such a voyage must have been challenging enough; for passengers with no prior experience at sea, the experience must have been both terrifying and claustrophobic. According to one of the interpreters, the passengers were not permitted above deck for the duration of the voyage, which usually took more than three months to complete.

A view of the Elizabeth II from the Manteo waterfront.

The boatswain quarters located in the ship's forecastle. The boatswain served on board vessels to perform regular maintenance and repairs while at sea.

The complex standing and running rigging. Every rope on the ship served a purpose in operating the vessel.

The stove were the cook prepared meals for crew and passengers. A hole with a chimney above deck provided as escape for the smoke. The rest circulated below deck with the passengers.

A view of the gun deck, also used to house the passengers for their long voyage. Passengers were required to stay below deck for the duration of the months-long voyage.