PLYMOUTH, Mass. (AP) — The owners of the Mayflower II say the 60-year-old replica vessel may not be safe for visitors in the coming years if their fundraising goal to finance the ship’s restoration is not met.
The Boston Globe reports the wharf-boring beetle has invaded the wood of the Mayflower II and much of the Plymouth-based ship’s hull is rotting.
Officials with Plimoth Plantation, the nonprofit that operates the vessel, say approximately 60 percent of the ship’s planking below the waterline must be replaced. The Mayflower also needs new framing and a sizable portion of its deck restored.
The nonprofit’s fundraising campaign is currently $3 million short of its $7.5 million goal set for Nov. 15.
Plimoth Plantation officials say the Mayflower II’s days are numbered if the necessary repairs aren’t made.
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