Snug harbor: Mayflower II to pass through Cape Cod Canal as it returns to Plymouth

Heather McCarron, Cape Cod Times
Updated ·3 min read

In about a week's time, the Mayflower will once again journey the sea — the Mayflower II, that is. And it will take a much shorter voyage, with a shortcut through the Cape Cod Canal, than its namesake undertook more than 400 years ago.

Following a winter spent in dry dock at the Henry B. duPont Preservation Shipyard at Mystic Seaport in Mystic, Connecticut, the historic reproduction vessel will return to her home berth alongside State Pier at Pilgrim Memorial State Park in Plymouth.

The vessel was undergoing routine maintenance.

Depending on the weather and tide, Mayflower II is scheduled to depart from the Mystic Seaport on or about April 9, 10 or 11, according to Plimoth Patuxet Museums.

Mayflower II returns to Plymouth: Track the ship - and see when it comes through the Cape Cod Canal - with this tool

Mayflower II passes through the Cape Cod Canal in August 2020 on its way to its homeport in Plymouth. The vessel is expected to pass through the canal again next week, depending on the weather, as it returns to Plymouth from routine maintenance in Connecticut.
Mayflower II passes through the Cape Cod Canal in August 2020 on its way to its homeport in Plymouth. The vessel is expected to pass through the canal again next week, depending on the weather, as it returns to Plymouth from routine maintenance in Connecticut.

Instead of navigating the shoals and rough waters around Cape Cod that forced the original travelers to abandon their southern course and turn north, the Mayflower II will take the easier route through the canal.

Early morning passage through Cape Cod Canal

The passage is presently expected to take place during the early morning hours on the day after the ship leaves Mystic, said Plimoth Patuxet Director of Marketing & Communications Rob Kluin on Monday. Although it may traverse the canal while it is still dark, with the lighting that exists along the waterway early risers will still be able to see the ship as it passes through.

"As it gets a little closer to the three days (departure window), you can start tracking the ship to pick up more information," Kluin said.

To track the Mayflower II, go to www.tinyurl.com/trackMayflower2. Updates will also be posted on the Plimoth Patuxet Facebook page.

"It's always exciting" to see the vessel in transit, he said.

Will the Mayflower II need wind?

The 102-foot wooden vessel will not be traveling by wind power, 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.

Once it leaves Mystic, the Mayflower II will travel non-stop until it reaches Plymouth Harbor. The journey, approximately 78 miles, will take about 20 to 25 hours — better than the nearly two months it took the original Mayflower to cross the Atlantic in 1620. That vessel brought the first European immigrants to the shores of Patuxet, to eventually establish Plimoth Plantation.

The 67-year-old wooden tall ship, said Kluin, is a full-scale reproduction of the original Mayflower that made the original transatlantic crossing in 1620. The reproduction vessel left from Plymouth on Nov. 30 and arrived in Mystic Seaport on Dec. 1.

"The ship is on a routine maintenance schedule. Every couple of years it goes away (to dry dock) just to make sure that we're keeping the ship in shipshape," Kluin said.

The last time Mayflower II was in dry dock was in 2022. Routine maintenance includes cleaning and painting the bottom, giving other areas of the ship fresh paint, and caulking the seams — "all the things you need to do to maintain a wooden ship," he said.

Mayflower II is slated to be open to the public at her Plymouth berth starting at 9 a.m. on April 13. The travel schedule from Mystic to Plymouth is subject to change, depending on tide, weather and other factors.

Heather McCarron writes about climate change, environment, energy, science and the natural world, in addition to news and features in Barnstable and Brewster. Reach her at hmccarron@capecodonline.com, or follow her on X @HMcCarron_CCT

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This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Mayflower II to transit Cape Cod Canal, return to Plymouth