Mayflower II was hauled out of the water in the Henry B. duPont Preservation Shipyard at Mystic Seaport on Friday, November 18, 2016. The process took about two and a half hours to maneuver the ship in the lift, settle her properly on the cradle, and then lift the ship out of the water. The next step will be to power wash the hull and pull her into the yard and then sideways to the spot where the restoration work will take place. That should happen early next week.
This is the third phase of a multi-year preservation initiative for the nearly 60-year-old ship. Mystic Seaport shipwrights and Plimoth Plantation maritime artisans are collaborating on the restoration, which is being carried out to prepare the ship for the commemoration of the Pilgrims’ arrival 400 years ago in 2020. Unlike past years, Mayflower II will remain at Mystic Seaport for a period of 30 months and not return to Plymouth in the spring as she has in past years.
