The Mayflower II
Water Street at the State Pier
Plymouth
508-746-1662

Summary: the Mayflower II is a replica of the famous ship that brought the Pilgrims across the Atlantic Ocean more than 375 years ago. As you tour the ship, you will learn what the trip was like both for the passengers and the crew.

In September 1620 a three masted merchant ship, the Mayflower, left Plymouth, England in its third attempt to carry over 100 hundred men, women and children, as well as all the provisions, tools and livestock they would need to make a new life in the New World. Its first two attempts had ended in failure and this time the ship was filled beyond capacity. Onboard was an unlikely mix of people seeking religious freedom and those anxious to start life over in America.

This journey lasted 66 days on the storm tossed seas of the North Atlantic. Conditions were dismal: no heat and little fresh water; a diet of hard bread and dried meat; seriously overcrowded conditions; and no sanitary facilities. Soon many on board fell prey to seasickness, scurvy and fever. Despite two deaths and the need to repair the mast while en route, in late November the Mayflower made landing on Cape Cod.

Here they took on provisions and spent several weeks searching for the right place to build their new home. On December 21, 1620 the Pilgrims landed at what is today Plymouth, Massachusetts and settled the first permanent colony in North America.

The Mayflower II is an English-built full-scale replica of the vessel that crossed the Atlantic Ocean in 1620. This ship actually made the journey in a little less than two months in 1957, compared with the original journey of 66 days.

The vessel is a striking sight on the waterfront, with its shiny hull painted brown and its brilliant red and green trim. The color scheme was based on colors seen in contemporary paintings of Dutch and English ships. The 106-foot-long ship stands over 25 feet high above the water line, with only a 13-foot draft.

The ship’s Master (or captain) and his officers had cabins high in the stern of the vessel, while the common seamen were housed in the Forecastle near the bow, with the boatswain (master of discipline) and cook. The passengers and their livestock had the “tween decks” on the level below. Below that was the hold, which contained all supplies for the ship (such as canvas, food, rope, and ammunition) as well as the worldly goods of the Pilgrims. Conditions were cramped and privacy was minimal, as the Mayflower was built as a merchant ship, not a passenger vessel.

The Mayflower is operated as part of Plimoth Plantation, and the re-enactors show the same meticulous attention to presenting the character and habits of their 17th century counterparts as you will see in the village. Combination tickets which also allow admission to Plimoth Plantation are available.

Costumed re-enactors play the parts of the crew and passengers who endured the difficult passage. As you follow them around, you will find it almost impossible to imagine how so many people could live in such a small place for more than two months. You begin to appreciate how great a risk they took, and how strong their convictions must have been, to undertake this uncertain journey to an untamed wilderness.

As you walk around the ship, make an attempt to draw out the re-enactors to share a bit of their lives. Don’t be bashful - you will learn so much more if you start up a conversation. Ask questions about everything: the way they are dressed; how all the mechanisms of the ship work; how they like eating fish every night!

There is a gift shop and the J. Barnes bake shop at the wharf. The maps and signs will direct you.

Getting There
From Boston, take Exit 6A (Route 44) off Route 3 south. Follow Route 44 to downtown Plymouth. At Route 3A, turn right, and follow the road about 2 miles to Plimoth Plantation. The Plymouth and Brockton bus lines also offer service to downtown Plymouth and Plimoth Plantation from Boston’s South Station train and bus terminals (call 508-746-0378 for details).

by Judith Otto

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