Prior to the voyage, the Speedwell had been refitted in Delfshaven and had two masts.
It is theorized that the crew used a mast that was too large for the ship and that its size added stress to the hull which caused it to leak so badly.
Pilgrim William Bradford wrote that "overmasting" strained the ship's hull, but attributes the main cause of problems to actions on the part of her crew.
Passenger Robert Cushman wrote from Dartmouth in August 1620, that the main problem was caused by a loose board approximately two feet long.
--CootMast
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