[The Mayflower II sails through the waters of Fishers Island Sound off Groton, Conn., Tuesday, July 28, 2020, on the seventh day of two weeks of sea trials. The vessel, a replica of the original Mayflower that carried the Pilgrims to America in 1620, left Mystic Seaport Museum last week after a three-year, $11.2 million restoration by the workers at the Henry B. duPont Preservation Shipyard. The 400th anniversary festivities scheduled for Boston and Cape Cod this spring and summer were all postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Image Credit: Sean D. Elliot/The Day via AP
August 08, 2020 - 1:17 PM
PLYMOUTH, Mass. - A replica of the original Mayflower ship that brought the Pilgrims to America 400 year ago this year is returning home following extensive renovations.
The Mayflower II is slated to complete the final leg of its journey on Monday when it docks at Pilgrim Memorial State Park in Plymouth, Massachusetts.
The 64-year-old historic reproduction is also expected to travel from New Bedford to the Massachusetts Maritime Academy in Bourne this weekend.
The ship began the slow return home last month after spending the last three years in Mystic, Connecticut, getting $11.2 million worth of renovations.
It stopped in New London, Connecticut, but had to scrub a planned visit to Newport, Rhode Island this week because of new travel restrictions required of people who visit the state.
The ship also made an unscheduled stop at New Bedford's State Pier to shelter during Tropical Storm Isaias. A cruise into Boston Harbor alongside the USS Constitution was previously cancelled because of the pandemic.
The original plan had called for a celebratory departure in late April with several stops at southern New England ports before a May arrival.
The Mayflower II has been a major tourist attraction and educational tool since it arrived in Plymouth as a gift from England in 1957.
News from © The Associated Press, 2020
News from © The Associated Press, 2020