Ships were wooden.

Weather was unpredictable.

Navigation was imprecise by modern standards.

The Atlantic in spring could be cold and stormy, and the approaches to the Gulf of St.

Lawrence were complicated by fog, ice, and the challenge of navigating waters that were still being mapped.

On this voyage, in these circumstances, Marguerite de la Rocque entered into a romantic relationship with a young man aboard the ship.

The identity of this man is not definitively established by the historical record.