Dick Stone on the true story of Project Mayflower-1957

“Project Mayflower: Building and Sailing a 17^th-Century Replica” by Ricard A. Stone (Lyons Press)

 

It all began with a desire to express gratitude during WWII for the Americans who sent tanks and other war material to their allies the British fighting in North Africa. The outspoken British journalist Warwick Charlton determined that the best way to show his nation’s appreciation was to build an authentic replica of the historic vessel that tied us together, The Mayflower. That was, of course, the ship that the Pilgrims sailed to the New World in 1620 which landed in Plymouth. Charlton contacted Harry Hornblower, the founder of the Plimoth Plantation in Massachusetts to see if their museum would be willing to accept and maintain the ship after its arrival. They were considering building one for their display, and had hired the naval architect William A. Baker to prepare plans and specifications for a second “Mayflower”> His plans would become essential to the combined effort in 1955.

 

“The resulting agreement was a matter of mutual benefit.” The task would not be simple, easy nor inexpensive. Mayflower II would be constructed using painstaking traditional methods and materials”, by designers and artisans of exceptional ability, to be as perfect a reconstruction of the legendary ship as humanly possible. The only exceptions were temporary navigational equipment (to be removed after the voyage). “Retired shipwrights, sail makers, and riggers shared outmoded skills on hewing and shaping the oak timbers, hand-stitched real linen-canvas sails, treated the Indian hemp rigging with Stockholm pine tar, and caulked the seams with oakum and pitch to achieve a credible authenticity.” The selection of experienced captain Alan Villiers and his crew of veterans with square-rigged deep-water experience who would sail the little ‘barque’ to America without an auxiliary engine of any sort.”

 

At first the British government was not particularly enthusiastic, as the aristocracy was not impressed and wanted nothing to do with it. However, political considerations became critical: President Nassar of Egypt nationalized the Suez Canal, essentially stealing it from the British and French who built it in the 1860s. They mobilized and brought in Israel. President Eisenhower was shocked and angry; with the USSR invading one of its satellites (Hungary), suddenly the Allies were picking a fight with Egypt. In the midst of the Suez Crisis was an election in the US. So suddenly, building the Mayflower II together seemed like a great way of repairing the alliance of UK and USA.

 

April 20, 1957, the ship was launched to much fanfare. June 11, after a good trip, they arrived in the New World. Two days later they anchored in Plymouth Harbor. It would make one more trip across the Atlantic Ocean, then returned to Plimouth Museum for its permanent berth. It can still be seen to this day. It remains a tribute to the “special relationship” that England and America still share.