Mystic, Conn. (December 4, 2015) – Mayflower II is scheduled to arrive by tugboat at the mouth of Connecticut’s Mystic River on Saturday, December 5 at 3:30 p.m., and pass through downtown Mystic at 4:30 p.m. (all times are approximate). Although Mystic Seaport grounds will not be open to visitors for the ship’s arrival, the public will have the opportunity to view the ship as it makes its way upriver. The ship will pass close by Mystic River Park and through the historic bascule bridge in downtown Mystic on its way to the Museum.
Mayflower II, Plimoth Plantation’s 1957 replroduction of the ship that carried the Pilgrims to Massachusetts in 1620, departed Plymouth, MA Tuesday, December 1 to head to Mystic Seaport for preservation work during the winter at the Museum’s Henry B. duPont Preservation Shipyard. The ship stopped at New Bedford, MA to wait for favorable weather conditions to make the final leg of the journey.
Accompanied by a crew of eight from Plimoth Plantation’s Maritime Preservation and Operations group, the 106-foot ship will be towed by the tug Jaguar. The public can track Mayflower II’s progress online using Jaguar’s Maritime Mobile Service Identity number 366934810.
In the second phase of a multi-year preservation initiative for the nearly 60-year-old ship, Mystic Seaport shipwrights and Plimoth Plantation maritime artisans will be replacing the half-deck area as well as working on the tween deck and topmast rigging. The restoration is being undertaken in advance of celebrations of the 400th anniversary of the Pilgrims’ arrival in Plymouth in 1620.
Plimoth Plantation, in partnership with Mystic Seaport, expects to make possible some opportunities for public engagement with the ship over the winter. Mayflower II will return to Plymouth in the spring.
About Mystic Seaport
Mystic Seaport is the nation’s leading maritime museum. Founded in 1929, the Museum is home to four National Historic Landmark vessels, including the Charles W. Morgan, America’s oldest commercial ship and the last wooden whaleship in the world. The Museum’s collection of more than two million artifacts includes more than 500 historic vessels and one of the largest collections of maritime photography in the country. The state-of-the-art Collections Research Center at Mystic Seaport provides scholars and researchers from around the world access to the Museum’s renowned archives. Mystic Seaport is located one mile south of Exit 90 off I-95 in Mystic, CT. Admission is $25 for adults and $16 for children ages 6-17. Museum members and children 5 and under are admitted free. For more information, please visit https://mysticseaport.wpengine.com/ and follow Mystic Seaport on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.
