The historic ship Mayflower II is scheduled to arrive at Mystic Seaport on Sunday, December 14, after 1 p.m. The ship is being towed from Plymouth, Mass. to Mystic Seaport, where she will undergo the first phase of a multi-year restoration in the Museum’s Henry B. duPont Preservation Shipyard.
Mayflower II is a reproduction of the original Mayflower that transported the Pilgrims to Massachusetts in 1620. The new ship was built in the United Kingdom and sailed to the United States in 1957. She is owned by Plimoth Plantation. The restoration of the 57-year-old wooden ship will be carried out over several years with the ship spending winter and spring at Mystic Seaport and returning to Plymouth each summer and fall. The project is scheduled for completion prior to 2020–the 400th anniversary of the Pilgrims’ arrival.
Mayflower II is being towed to Mystic Seaport over the course of three days with overnight stops in New Bedford, Mass. on Friday and New London, Conn. on Saturday. The ship will arrive at the mouth of the Mystic River between 1:00 and 1:30 p.m. and proceed upriver to Mystic Seaport on the afternoon high tide. The Mystic River portion of the journey is expected to take approximately an hour.
The ship is being towed by the tugboat Jaguar, which is equipped with an Automated Identification Signal (AIS) transmitter. Interested parties can track the vessels’ progress online on several free websites. Jaguar’s Maritime Mobile Service Identity number is 366934810.
The ship’s schedule is subject to change at any time due to inclement weather or other unforeseen circumstances.
Once at the shipyard, work will be begin to prepare the ship to be hauled out of the water and undergo a survey to determine the scope of the restoration. The public will have the opportunity to view the ship during the Museum’s operating hours, and the plan is to permit people to board the ship on land beginning February 14, 2015.
