The Golden Hinde
Rob explores the extraordinary story of the Golden Hind – the personal ship of England’s most notorious pirate, Sir Francis Drake. Bound on a secret mission to plunder Spanish ships in the Pacific, the voyage of this surprisingly modest vessel was packed with adventure: from witchcraft and attempted mutiny, to the supreme triumph of her most famous achievement - becoming the first English ship to sail around the world.
Rob climbs aboard the replica Golden Hind on London’s South Bank to get to grips with the human stories behind this remarkable vessel. He samples weevil-ridden sailors’ rations, gets a crash course in Tudor firearms and learns how a bitter betrayal would force Drake to execute one of his closest friends. And when it came to taking on formidable Spanish galleons, Rob learns how Drake put the Golden Hind’s small size to good use – using stealth and cunning to rob untold riches from unsuspecting enemy ships.
Most remarkably, Rob learns how Drake’s circumnavigation of the globe was not only an accident, but also initially a state secret that he might have taken to the grave – had it not been for the surprise intervention of Queen Elizabeth herself.