Today was a real nuts and bolts kind of day. Paula and George continued with the relentless task of tightening up and tarring the rigging. Jack and I continued repairing and re-planking the various holes in the side of the ship. The picture above shows Paula out on the bowsprit getting ready to tightening the … [Read more…]

We are seeing progress on all fronts at the ship. Jack and I fit and fastened the big 3 ½” x 5” white oak wale on the port side after castle. It is big, heavy and requires working from staging up on the outside of the ship. It’s great to get that piece on. The … [Read more…]

I don’t have any pictures of all the work we did today, but rest assured, we did a lot. Instead I have been thinking about what I did this past weekend and how it is connected to Mayflower II and our museum in general. I’ll offer some Internet links that are relevant and are connections … [Read more…]

It is Monday and we are all back at work. The bright yellow ball in the sky we learn is called the sun. It is sunny and warm and it is a pleasure to be outside again. The list of things we are involved in today is representative of the kind of day that keeps … [Read more…]

Today is the Twentieth of April. Fifty years ago today Mayflower II set sail for America from Plymouth, England. If you take a look at the website on our museum site devoted Mayflower II you will see a lot on how the ship was built, and sailed over to the United States in 1957. If … [Read more…]

The weather has improved today so that work can continue on the ship. Jack and Paula were on the waterfront in the afternoon but I must confess I’m not sure what they were actually doing as I have been at the visitor center all week signing and reading from my book, Felix and His Mayflower … [Read more…]

The weather continues cold with wind driven rain. As a result we are all still indoors at work on various project related to the ship, our waterfront exhibit or the marine program. Like yesterday this weather gives me a chance to continue to introduce the maritime Artisans staff. Today’s featured artisan is our very own … [Read more…]

This is a picture of a storm that the ship rode out last night. Mayflower II has been through many storms over the years mostly tied right to the pier. She has weather hurricanes, Nor’easters and even the no-name storm of 1991 with very little damage. Last night storm was certainly not the worst storm … [Read more…]

Friday afternoons are reserved for our ongoing boat-building project. The goal of this project is to build a replacement workboat for Mayflower II. Our current skiff is old, been repaired many times, and has already sunk three times in the last two years. (Sounds a little like all of the marine staff come to think … [Read more…]

Today was the press launch for the book I wrote called Felix and His Mayflower II Adventures. It tells the story of the building of Mayflower II in England and her voyage across the Atlantic in 1957. The story is told from the perspective of the small kitten, Felix, given to the ship as a … [Read more…]