Compare this map to a more modern map. Quite a difference. Cartography is both art and science...

-->

This gnarly looking appendage (on the map)  is Florida?
Yep.

To get to Roanoke Island, ships would sail through the Canaries and past the Tropic of Cancer to the West Indies where they could dock and get fresh supplies.

Then the ship would sail north off the Florida coast into Spanish territory, entering the Gulf Stream, and clearing Cape Hatteras off of North Carolina--the most dangerous part of the journey. There, warm waters of the Gulf Stream met the cold waters of the north, creating rough waters and storms.

The ships would then pilot their way up to the coast to the unexplored and unclaimed territory of Roanoke. The low, narrow Island lies between the Outer Banks and mainland North Carolina.

But navigating to what is present day North Carolina was not always so easy. The water around North Carolina is surrounded by constantly shifting sand shoals that make docking difficult. Because of the sand shoals, ships would anchor, station, and take smaller ships such as rowboats to shore. Once on the island, one finds thick marshlands, plenty of trees and wildlife--a place ideal for settlement, more so than other islands along the Barrier.

The weather off of the islands is sometimes unpredictable. Wind and weather changes can occur quickly and unexpectedly. The Outer Banks suffer from fierce storms and hurricanes born in the Caribbean. Fall brings the best weather for fishing and boating. The summer and winter months bring thunderstorms, and Nor' Easters.

So then why did Barlow, Armada, and others decide to land there? They chose the North Carolina coast for two reasons. One, it was the next territory north after the Spanish settlements. Two, the island was easier to land on than navigating the difficult coast of North Carolina. Further, an island offered an easy escape route from the Spanish. The long chain of islands around Roanoke offered protection and hiding from Spanish fleets looking for English treasure.