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On September 16,
1620, The Mayflower set out from Plymouth, England. Bound for
Virginia to establish a permanent colony in North America, she
carried 102 men, women and children. Many of the passengers were
Separatists fleeing religious persecution in Europe. After two
months at sea, the ship dropped anchor at what is now Provincetown,
MA. It was almost 200 miles farther north than planned, but winter
was approaching, so the Pilgrims decided to stay. Half of the colony
did not survive that first winter, but the rest lived on and
prospered.
Historians have tried to identify the Mayflower, but all that’s
certain is that she was a wine-ship of 180 tons of the type commonly
used during the early 17th century. In 1957 a British group
sponsored the voyage of a replica from Plymouth, England to
Plymouth, MA. The vessel was given to the United States as an
expression of international goodwill and remains on exhibit at
Plymouth, MA.
Model Shipways’ kit is a re-make of
the very popular Mayflower manufactured by Model Shipways in the
late 1950s. Perfect for the novice ship modeler, the machine carved
basswood hull requires only light sanding. All other wooden
components have been laser cut. A generous fittings package contains
ready-to-use hardwood blocks and deadeyes, precision cast Britannia
metal and brass detail parts and five diameters of rigging line.
Detailed plans and illustrated assembly instructions make building
easy. Hardwood display base and pedestals are also included.
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