Explorers, where for art thou?

[unmerged(43017)]

I'm currently playing as England and it's 1557. I've united the French and English crowns (and enjoyed all the events ) but I seem to have NO colonial power(!). I thought England started colonising or at least exploring way before now... I did get one explorer, but that was ages ago and he died mid-sea (not from attrition) before he reached the Carribean where I sent him(!). I moved him as soon as I got him too. Now I finally have one conquistador but nowhere to explore :rofl:. What's up? I don't know if it effects it in AGCEEP but my land/naval is bang in the middle and I'm pretty narrowminded.

EDIT:
To clear some things up:
1) what do I need to do as Burgundy to become France, will the netherland region still count as my national provinces and what sort of leaders will I get? French or Burgundian and if I get Burgundy's leaders and monarchs are they any good?
2) I checked the event files and it looks like Austria does not actually inherit or get national provinces from the Inheritance of Burgundy event. Is that true? Any advice for keeping Bohemia strong against the Hussites so I can inherit as much as possible?

Thanks for reading all that...if you did

 

[unmerged(45766)]

Explorers : you will get a bunch around 1575-16xx, as should be historical as heavy exploration was around that date. That you lost your first explorer is sad, but you should have sent him to the Azores, then to NA. Or, better, make a war against Portugal & Spain to get maps (and some useful islands & colonies) before getting your explorer.
And to get random leaders, you should be geared towards naval and free-trade.

Burgundy-France : once you convert to another country, you get the monarchs and leaders of the new country. But cores & cultures don't change, unless planned by the event.

Austria : I've never seen Bohemia not forming again after the Hussites. Just ally with them, and lead them into wars into the HRE to make them grow before the inheritance.
As far as I know, you only get a vassalization of burgundy, Spain gets to inherit it.

 

[unmerged(29041)]

Cabot dies very very soon. I sent him to Labrador which was his historic destination, and I was lucky enough he discovered one province in his first attempt before going kaboom. Most of the times he is useless, and you might just be thankful because he leaves 3 warships behind.