A 17th-century replica ship is about to get a major makeover at a 19th-century replica shipyard in a cooperative venture between two living history museums.
The Susan Constant, one of three ships that are part of the fleet at Virginia’s Jamestown Settlement, will soon make a five-day voyage to Mystic Connecticut, where the Mystic Seaport Museum’s Henry du Pont Preservation Shipyard will restore the 120-ton cargo ship in a 2-year $4.7 million project.
The ship, built in 1991, is a replica of the original that was part of the 1607 first European expedition to Virginia, along with Godspeed and Discovery, who also have replicas at Jamestown.
The shipyard at Mystic has been working on historic ships for half a century, including Mystic’s whaler Charles W. Morgan and recently a replica of a 10th-century Viking ship.
