Mayflower II Returns to Plymouth Wednesday

The Mayflower II, the historic reproduction of the ship that carried Pilgrims to the shores of Massachusetts in 1620, is scheduled to return to Plymouth on Wednesday.

The 65-year-old wooden vessel spent the winter months in dry dock at the Henry B. DuPont Preservation Shipyard at Mystic Seaport in Mystic, Connecticut, for routine maintenance and painting.

It left Mystic Seaport on Monday afternoon, and is expected to pass through Cape Cod Canal around 2 p.m. on Wednesday and arrive in Plymouth Harbor at approximately 5 p.m.

The ship's travel schedule could change, however, as it is dependent on tide, weather conditions and other factors.

Get Boston local news, weather forecasts, lifestyle and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC Boston’s newsletters.

It’s been just over 400 years since the Pilgrims landed in Plymouth, but the true, complete history isn't necessarily what you learned in history books. Plymouth 400 set out to tell the full story, including the pain and suffering of the Wampanoag people and the stain of slavery in Massachusetts' past. Of course, there is also historical pride, as the Pilgrims established Plymouth Colony.

The 106-foot ship is being accompanied by staff from the Plimoth Patuxet Museums and is being towed by the tugboat Jaguar, operated by Mitchell Towing out of Fairhaven.

Plimoth Patuxet said it expects to open the Mayflower II to the public on Saturday, April 16, at 9 a.m.

You can track the Mayflower II's progress along its journey here, and check for updates on Plimoth Patuxet's Facebook page.