Mayflower II will travel through Cape Cod Canal soon. Here's how you can track the ship.
As long as tides and weather cooperate, the Mayflower II will be homeward bound from the Mystic Seaport on April 10, setting off at about 10:30 a.m., according to the Plimoth Patuxet Museums.
For anyone hoping to catch a glimpse of the tall ship traversing the Cape Cod Canal on the way to her home berth alongside State Pier at Pilgrim Memorial State Park in Plymouth, her progress can be tracked by visiting www.tinyurl.com/trackMayflower2, a service of marinetraffic.com.
Once it leaves the seaport, the Mayflower II will travel non-stop to Plymouth Harbor. The journey, approximately 78 miles, will take about 20 to 25 hours. It's possible its passage through the canal could begin in the early morning hours of April 11.
"We will give an ETA once the ship actually gets underway and we are better able to determine," said Plimoth Patuxet Director of Marketing & Communications Rob Kluin.
Although it may traverse the canal while it is still dark, with the lighting that exists along the waterway, spectators would still be able to see the ship as it passes through, according to Kluin. It will take the ship about an hour to traverse the canal.
The 102-foot wooden vessel will not be under sail — the sails have yet to be bent onto the yards, Kluin said — but will instead be towed the entire way by Stasinos Marine out of Weymouth, Kluin said. It will be crewed by the Plimoth Patuxet maritime preservation and operations team led by Capt. Whit Perry. They will not be in period costumes for the voyage.
The crew recently completed up-rigging the ship — putting up spars, blocks and rigging — in preparation for her trip home, according to a post on the Plimoth Patuxet Museums' Facebook page.
The 67-year-old ship, a full-scale reproduction of the vessel that brought the first European immigrants to the shores of Patuxet more than 400 years ago, has been in dry dock at the Henry B. duPont Preservation Shipyard in Mystic, Connecticut since arriving there Dec. 1. Over the winter, it underwent routine maintenance, including cleaning the bottom, painting and caulking the seams. The work was funded by a Save America's Treasures grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
The travel schedule is subject to change, depending on tide, weather and other factors. The Plimoth Patuxet Museums will also have updates on its Facebook page.
Mayflower II is slated to be open to the public at her Plymouth berth starting at 9 a.m. on April 13. According to Plimoth Patuxet Museums Executive Director Ellie Donovan, the ship has seen millions of visitors from around the world since it arrived in Plymouth as a gift to the museum from England in 1957.
“We are thankful for IMLS recognizing the importance of this treasured landmark and for helping to ensure she will be preserved for generations to come," Donovan said.
Heather McCarron can be reached at [email protected], or follow her on X @HMcCarron_CCT
Thanks to our subscribers, who help make this coverage possible. If you are not a subscriber, please consider supporting quality local journalism with a Cape Cod Times subscription. Here are our subscription plans.
This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Mayflower II to take Cape Cod Canal to Plymouth. Track the ship here.