''Mayflower II'' is a reproduction of the 17th-century ship ''

Mayflower ''Mayflower'' was an English ship that transported a group of English families, known today as the Pilgrims, from England to the New World in 1620. After a grueling 10 weeks at sea, ''Mayflower'', with 102 passengers and a crew of about 30, r ...

'', celebrated for transporting the Pilgrims to the

New World The term ''New World'' is often used to mean the majority of Earth's Western Hemisphere, specifically the Americas."America." ''The Oxford Companion to the English Language'' (). McArthur, Tom, ed., 1992. New York: Oxford University Press, p. 3 ...

in 1620. "Press Kit - Mayflower X" (with history of the ''Mayflower''),

Plimoth Plantation Plimoth Patuxet is a complex of living history museums in Plymouth, Massachusetts, founded in 1947. Formerly Plimoth Plantation, it replicates the original settlement of the Plymouth Colony established in the 17th century by the English coloni ...

Museum, 2004, ''Plimoth.org'' webpage:
PlimothOrg-MayflowerBG
The reproduction was built in

Devon Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devon is ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

during 1955–1956, in a collaboration between Englishman Warwick Charlton and Plimoth Patuxet (at the time known as Plimoth Plantation), a

living history museum A living museum, also known as a living history museum, is a type of museum which recreates historical settings to simulate a past time period, providing visitors with an experiential interpretation of history. It is a type of museum that recrea ...

. The work drew upon reconstructed ship blueprints held by the American museum, along with hand construction by English shipbuilders using traditional methods. ''Mayflower II'' was sailed from

Plymouth Plymouth () is a port city and unitary authority in South West England. It is located on the south coast of Devon, approximately south-west of Exeter and south-west of London. It is bordered by Cornwall to the west and south-west. Plymouth ...

on April 20, 1957, recreating the original voyage across the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...

, under the command of

Alan Villiers Alan John Villiers, DSC (23 September 1903 – 3 March 1982) was a writer, adventurer, photographer and mariner. Born in Melbourne, Australia, Villiers first went to sea at age 15 and sailed on board traditionally rigged vessels, including t ...

. According to the ship's log, ''Mayflower II'' arrived at Plymouth on June 22; it was towed up the East River into

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

on Monday, July 1, 1957, where Villiers and crew received a

ticker-tape parade A ticker-tape parade is a parade event held in an urban setting, characterized by large amounts of shredded paper thrown onto the parade route from the surrounding buildings, creating a celebratory flurry of paper. Originally, actual ticker tap ...

. The ship was listed on the US

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 2020. The ship was built at the Upham Shipyard in

Brixham Brixham is a coastal town and civil parish, the smallest and southernmost of the three main population centres (the others being Paignton and Torquay) on the coast of Torbay in the county of Devon, in the south-west of England. Commercial fish ...

and financed by private donations in

and Plimoth Plantation. It represented the alliance between the United Kingdom and the United States for collaboration during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. The ship is considered a faithful generic reproduction within a few details (electric lights added and ladder replaced with a lower-deck staircase), with solid oak timbers, tarred

hemp Hemp, or industrial hemp, is a botanical class of ''Cannabis sativa'' cultivars grown specifically for industrial or medicinal use. It can be used to make a wide range of products. Along with bamboo, hemp is among the fastest growing plants o ...

rigging, and hand-coloured maps. It is long by wide, 236 tons

displacement Displacement may refer to: Physical sciences Mathematics and Physics *Displacement (geometry), is the difference between the final and initial position of a point trajectory (for instance, the center of mass of a moving object). The actual path ...

, three masts (mainmast, foremast, mizzen), a

bowsprit The bowsprit of a sailing vessel is a spar extending forward from the vessel's prow. The bowsprit is typically held down by a bobstay that counteracts the forces from the forestays. The word ''bowsprit'' is thought to originate from the Middle L ...

and 6 sails. The ship is seaworthy and sailed to

Providence, Rhode Island Providence is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. One of the oldest cities in New England, it was founded in 1636 by Roger Williams, a Reformed Baptist theologian and religious exile from the Massachusetts Bay ...

in 2002. In December 2012, ''Mayflower II'' was towed to dry dock at Fairhaven Shipyard in Fairhaven, Massachusetts for Coast Guard inspection as well as repairs. The repairs took longer than originally planned because unexpected damage was discovered during the inspection. Repairs were eventually completed and ''Mayflower II'' returned to her berth in

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

, on August 7, 2013. In December 2015, the ship arrived at the Henry B. duPont Preservation Shipyard in Mystic, CT for restoration. The ship returned temporarily to Plymouth for the 2016 summer season and has returned permanently in 2020, just in time for the 400th anniversary of the pilgrims' arrival.

History

In August 1954, Warwick Charlton, conceived the idea to construct a reproduction of ''Mayflower'' to commemorate the wartime cooperation between the United Kingdom and the United States. He had served alongside many American allies in the North African theatre during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. Project Mayflower was created in 1955 to build a replica of ''Mayflower'' in England and sail the ship to the United States as a symbol of Anglo-American friendship. The project's sponsors wanted to ensure proper siting of the ship after it reached the United States. They were aware that earlier reproduction vessels had rotted away after interest in their initial voyages faded. Project Mayflower learned of the Plimoth Plantation museum, and John Lowe of Project Mayflower, came to the United States in March 1955. He met with representatives of Plimoth Plantation to gain assistance in future berthing and exhibition of ''Mayflower II''. Plimoth Plantation had planned years earlier to add a replica of ''Mayflower'' to its exhibits. In 1951, the museum had already commissioned plans for a ''Mayflower II'' from

naval architect This is the top category for all articles related to architecture and its practitioners. {{Commons category, Architecture occupations Design occupations Architecture, Occupations ...

William A. Baker William Avery Baker (born in New Britain, Connecticut on 21 October 1911 – died 9 September 1981) was a distinguished naval architect of Ship replica, replica historic ships and a maritime historian, who was curator of the Francis Russell Hart Na ...

MIT The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of the m ...

. Baker's detailed plans had been finished by the time that Project Mayflower announced its goals. A waterline model of the vessel's hull had also been built, but nothing more. By the spring of 1955, the two organizations negotiated an agreement: in exchange for using Baker's design plans and advice, plus the Plimouth Plantations' guarantee to maintain and exhibit the vessel permanently, Project Mayflower agreed to build ''Mayflower II'' and sail her across the

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...

, visiting various East Coast ports to exhibit the ship. The Project would then release it to Plimoth Plantation. The construction of ''Mayflower II'' was conducted at the Upham shipyard in Brixham, Devon,

. The ship's keel was laid on July 27, 1955, and William A. Baker was sent by Plimoth Plantation to advise the builders and view the progress of the ship's construction. The ship was replicated as accurately as possible, with carefully chosen English oak timbers, hand-forged nails, hand-sewn

linen Linen () is a textile made from the fibers of the flax plant. Linen is very strong, absorbent, and dries faster than cotton. Because of these properties, linen is comfortable to wear in hot weather and is valued for use in garments. It also ...

canvas Canvas is an extremely durable plain-woven fabric used for making sails, tents, marquees, backpacks, shelters, as a support for oil painting and for other items for which sturdiness is required, as well as in such fashion objects as handbags ...

sails,

cordage, and the

Stockholm Stockholm () is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, largest city of Sweden as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people liv ...

tar Tar is a dark brown or black viscous liquid of hydrocarbons and free carbon, obtained from a wide variety of organic materials through destructive distillation. Tar can be produced from coal, wood, petroleum, or peat. "a dark brown or black bit ...

of the type used on 17th-century ships. ''Mayflower II'' has the brown hull and the dark-red strapwork ornamentation of 17th-century merchant ships, based on analysis of the traditional colors and designs of English merchant ships illustrated in Dutch and English paintings. Carved into the

stern The stern is the back or aft-most part of a ship or boat, technically defined as the area built up over the sternpost, extending upwards from the counter rail to the taffrail. The stern lies opposite the bow, the foremost part of a ship. Ori ...

of ''Mayflower II'' is a blossom of a ''hawthorne'' or English mayflower. In England, the skills of elderly traditional workmen were employed to build a vessel that reflected Baker's detailed research which could sail the Atlantic as securely as the original ship. ''Mayflower II'' was launched on September 22, 1956, a rainy day. The ceremony was based on knowledge about christenings of 17th-century vessels. The ship was toasted from a gold loving cup that was afterward thrown into the water, and then quickly retrieved by an underwater diver, in the traditional manner. The ship slid gracefully down the ways to enter Brixham harbor with a large splash. She was towed round to Plymouth, Devon, and on April 20, 1957 towed from there to begin her transatlantic voyage. Her captain, Commander

, soon decided that with her somewhat slender spars and authentic 17th century rigging, which lacked the later bobstay to hold the bowsprit steady, she might not make a direct route against the Atlantic storms without being dismasted. He altered course southwards and followed the trade winds in a wide southerly loop before sailing up the east coast of America, where on June 8 off

Bermuda ) , anthem = "God Save the King" , song_type = National song , song = " Hail to Bermuda" , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , mapsize2 = , map_caption2 = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = , e ...

she met the one real gale of the crossing. She lay to all night and weathered it without loss, and made land at Provincetown, where the original ''Mayflower'' had first put in on June 12. Among the crew was

Peter Padfield Peter L. N. Padfield (3 April 1932 – 14 March 2022) was a British author, biographer, historian, and journalist who specialised in naval history and in the Second World War period. His early journalism appeared under the name P. L. N. Padfield. ...

, who went on to become a naval historian. Since 1957, ''Mayflower II'' has been a pier side tourist attraction, moored at Long Wharf near the site of

Plymouth Rock Plymouth Rock is the traditional site of disembarkation of William Bradford and the ''Mayflower'' Pilgrims who founded Plymouth Colony in December 1620. The Pilgrims did not refer to Plymouth Rock in any of their writings; the first known writt ...

. The ship has been a popular attraction near Boston; it has become the site of national and state celebrations. On

Thanksgiving Thanksgiving is a national holiday celebrated on various dates in the United States, Canada, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Liberia, and unofficially in countries like Brazil and Philippines. It is also observed in the Netherlander town of Leiden and ...

1970 (the 350th anniversary of ''Mayflower'' landing), members of the

American Indian Movement The American Indian Movement (AIM) is a Native American grassroots movement which was founded in Minneapolis, Minnesota in July 1968, initially centered in urban areas in order to address systemic issues of poverty, discrimination, and police ...

(AIM) led by

Russell Means Russell Charles Means (November 10, 1939 – October 22, 2012) was an Oglala Lakota activist for the rights of Native Americans, libertarian political activist, actor, musician, and writer. He became a prominent member of the American In ...

seized ''Mayflower II'' in protest of the United States government's failure to abide by treaties with American Indians and its poor treatment of them.

Recent events

In December 2012, ''Mayflower II'' was towed to dry dock in Fairhaven Ship Yard in

Fairhaven, Massachusetts Fairhaven (Massachusett: ) is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. It is located on the South Coast of Massachusetts where the Acushnet River flows into Buzzards Bay, an arm of the Atlantic Ocean. The town shares a harbor wit ...

, where shipbuilders and

U.S. Coast Guard The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the country's eight uniformed services. The service is a maritime, military, mul ...

inspectors called for extensive repairs. This was the first in a number of scheduled repairs over the next seven years to restore ''Mayflower II'' to pristine condition for the 400th anniversary of the English settlement of Plymouth in 2020. Expected costs for these repairs are expected to exceed two million dollars. Starting in December 2014 and continuing until 2020, ''Mayflower II'' spent its summers in Plymouth on display and winters at the

Mystic Seaport Mystic Seaport Museum or Mystic Seaport: The Museum of America and the Sea in Mystic, Connecticut is the largest maritime museum in the United States. It is notable for its collection of sailing ships and boats and for the re-creation of the craf ...

being restored. It left Plymouth on November 1, 2016 and again sailed through the Cape Cod Canal. On September 7, 2019, the ship was launched in a public ceremony, and spent several further months at the shipyard before its first voyage, to Boston, in May 2020.

References

External links

Official SiteAll about the ''Mayflower'' and Plymouth, UK''Mayflower II'' Tour
- My Big Adventure (72 Images) *
"The ''Mayflower''"
''Popular Mechanics'', April 1957, pp. 90–91 cutaway drawing.
''Mayflower II'' repairs underway

The Harwich ''Mayflower'' Project
- A separate project building its own ''Mayflower'' replica
''LIFE'' Magazine June 17 1957
an
''LIFE'' Magazine June 24 1957
Articles about voyage and arrival. {{Mayflower passengers and related topics 1956 ships Ships built in Devon Plymouth, Massachusetts Replica ships Individual sailing vessels Sailing ships Museum ships in Massachusetts History of the Thirteen Colonies Replications of ancient voyages Mayflower National Register of Historic Places in Plymouth County, Massachusetts

History

Recent events

See also

References

External links