History remains alive with replica ship

Mayflower was an English ship, estimated between 90 and 110 feet in length, which transported the first English Puritans, known today as the Pilgrims, from England to the New World in 1620. But its arrival in Cape Cod was short-lived, as the ship was described in May 1624 as being in ruins, and almost certainly sold off as scrap.

However, history remains alive as the Mayflower II, a replica of the original ship, is preparing to embark from Connecticut after three years’ and $11.2 million worth of renovations — and several months of delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The beloved vessel is scheduled to be towed from the preservation shipyard at the Mystic Seaport Museum to New London, Connecticut, on July 20 for two weeks of sea trials before heading up the coast.

The 64-year-old historic reproduction is scheduled arrive back at the harbor just down the road from the Plimoth Plantation living history museum on or around August 10.

The original plan had called for a celebratory departure in late April with several stops at southern New England ports before a May arrival. That was to include being led into Boston Harbor under sail with the USS Constitution for a maritime festival to mark the 400th anniversary of the original Mayflower voyage.

But those plans were scrapped because of the pandemic, and now the ship is planning to make two overnight stops, without fanfare or crowds. – Full report