I went with Dalvero Academy to Mystic Seaport. I was most excited to revisit the Charles W. Morgan and see the Mayflower II—the newest acquisition at the Mystic Seaport Museum.
The Mayflower II was hauled out of the water to begin the five year restoration. The Mayflower II is owned by Plimoth Plantation and is undergoing a multi-year restoration in Mystic Museum’s Henry B. duPont Preservation Shipyard.
The ship had three masts—Mizzen (aft), Main (midship) and Fore. There is also a spirit sail in the bow area. The design of the Mayflower II was quite different, I thought the ship looked very “English” with two castle like structures fore and aft. These structures—30 foot high were square and bulky making it extremely difficult to sail against the wind. This awkward super structure configuration made the Mayflower unable to sail against the North Atlantic Westerlies. This is the direct reason why the voyage from England to America took over two months.
I enjoyed learning about what the Pilgrims and Adventurers brought to start to the New World. Among the items brought were 126 pairs of shoes, 13 pairs of boots, an assortment of fine clothing, utensils for food preparation such as teacups, as well as pigs, goats, poultry, and some family pets.
Unfortunately I was only able to spend one day due to the cold weather and didn’t get to visit the Morgan. I am looking forward to return!
You can read more about the Mayflower II Restoration on the Mystic Seaport Museum website.