Namesake Mayflower Projected Completion Date 2018 | Keel Cut June 2013 Quatercentenary Voyage 2020 | |
Owner Harwich Mayflower Project | ||
The Harwich Mayflower Project is based in Harwich, in the United Kingdom. It is a community project of which the main goal is to construct a full-scale, sea-worthy replica of the famous Mayflower ship which transported a hundred pilgrims from the UK to Cape Cod in America in 1620.
Contents
History
The formation of the Project was inspired by a visit to the town from a replica of the HMS Endeavour, the ship commanded by Captain Cook. The visit created a lot of interest within the town, and a small group of locals came together with the intention of building on this interest. As a result of a meeting in 2009, they decided to form a project for Harwich to build its own replica ship; the Mayflower was the obvious choice due to its Harwich connections (Christopher Jones, the ship's master, was born and raised there). The first designs of the ship were unveiled in April 2009. By 2010 the Project had achieved charitable status, and before the year was through the Project had effectively commenced. The Project received a major boost in the latter half of 2010 with an official endorsement by Richard Branson, the billionaire founder of Virgin Group.
In 2016 a brand new, purpose-built visitor centre and museum was built in the yard, next to the ship build, and is set to officially open by the end of August 2016.
Build
The main construction of the Mayflower is within a specially built shed, situated within Harwich Town station's railyard, and the main progress is visible outside in the yard. The build officially commenced in December 2012, with the cutting of the first oak tree. In June 2013, a ceremony was held for the cutting of the keel. In December 2014, the first stage of the build was completed.
While visible progress of the build has stalled since this first stage, the vice-chairman of the Mayflower Project board of trustees has stated she expects that building will recommence in the Summer of 2016.
Training
The project has a Training Centre which offers NVQs and apprenticeships; this was closed temporarily in May 2016. One of the goals of the Project besides building a Mayflower replica is to provide access to further education and training, particularly in the diminishing industrial sector. When active the training centre, located by the station entrance, offers NVQs and apprenticeships in fields such as marine engineering, construction, business administration, and also the likes of customer service, retail, and general employability skills.
In the media
Word of the Project gathered momentum in 2013, with multiple news agencies both sides of the Atlantic and beyond picking up on the story of Harwich's Mayflower claim, from Britain to America, Canada, and even Hungary.
The Project itself has also received national coverage from the BBC, and ITV, as well as a number of local papers, including the Harwich & Manningtree Standard and the East Anglian Daily Times.