November 23, 2017
Smooth Sailing So Far On $7.5 Makeover of Pilgrim Ship
William Kole READ TIME: 2 MIN.
PLYMOUTH, Mass. - If you're a fan of the Mayflower II, here's something that will float your boat.
A year after craftsmen embarked on an ambitious effort to restore the rotting replica of the ship that carried the Pilgrims to the New World in 1620, the work "is going really great," project manager Whit Perry says.
Britain built the vessel and sailed it to the U.S. as a gift of friendship in 1957. Usually it's moored in Plymouth Harbor, where more than 25 million people have boarded it over the past six decades. But over the years, the elements, aquatic organisms and insects took their toll.
It's now in dry dock at the Henry B. duPont Preservation Shipyard at Connecticut's Mystic Seaport, getting a $7.5 million makeover in time for 2020 festivities marking the 400th anniversary of the Pilgrim landing.
The Associated Press caught up with Perry, director of maritime preservation and operations at Plimoth Plantation , for a progress report.
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AP: You're 12 months into a 2�-year project involving major structural repairs to America's most beloved boat. Any unpleasant surprises?
Perry: Not really. I couldn't be more pleased with the progress we're making right now. We've had some major milestones since we began on Nov. 3, 2016. We have more than 100 new frames and floor timbers inside in the hold. Now we're actually going to start the planking process on the outside of the ship, which is very exciting.
AP: So nothing's bugging you? This time last year, on top of water damage and dry rot, you had beetles chewing through the bottom of the boat.
Perry: Ah, yes, the wharf borer beetle. No, that's been a minor issue. We did find evidence of (Teredo worms). This is a mollusk that can grow up to three feet long and eats through wood. On the bottom of the keel, there's something called a "worm shoe" - a 4-inch-thick piece of wood that runs the whole length of the ship. It lets the worms have a field day but not get into the main structure of the boat. That's where we found evidence of worms. The ship itself is OK.
