William Strachey was sailing to Virginia on board the supply ship Sea Venture when it wrecked in a hurricane in 1609. He and the survivors spent months in Bermuda constructing ships in which to continue their voyage. It is believed that Strachey's account of this voyage inspired William Shakespeare to write The Tempest. Arriving in Jamestown in 1610, Strachey became the secretary of the colony for one year, writing much about Jamestown life and his dramatic experience aboard the Sea Venture.