Mystic — The replica of the Mayflower left Plymouth, Mass., on Tuesday bound for Mystic Seaport, where it will undergo a second winter of restoration work.

After planned stops in New Bedford, Mass., and New London, the Mayflower II, which is being pulled by a tugboat, is slated to arrive at the Seaport late this week.

The exact arrival date and time will depend on the weather and tides, according to Kate Sheehan, the manager of media relations for Plimoth Plantation, the organization that owns the ship.

The Mayflower II is a 58-year-old replica of the ship that carried the Pilgrims to Massachusetts in 1620.

Over a five-month period last winter and spring, Seaport shipwrights and Plimoth Plantation maritime artisans surveyed the condition of the ship and began restoration work. This included removing and replacing 130 tons of stone and rusting iron ballast, replacing 300 feet of planking and doing extensive caulking of the seams.

This winter they are expected to replace the half-deck area and work on the tween deck and topmast rigging.

Before it left Plymouth, Sheehan said the ship attracted a big crowd there on Thanksgiving Day.

“It’s our biggest day of the year," she said.

As it did last year, the ship will return to the Plymouth waterfront next spring in time for the tourist season, during which 350,000 people are expected to visit the ship.

Sheehan said it is anticipated the ship will again return to the Seaport shipyard for the 2016-17 winter as it prepares to sail in 2020 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the Pilgrims' arrival aboard the original Mayflower.

Sheehan said Plimoth Plantation has begun its fundraising efforts for the project, which is anticipated to cost about $8 million.

While there may not be an opportunity for Seaport visitors to go aboard the ship this winter, Sheehan said they will be able to get up close and Plimoth Plantation will collaborate with the Seaport to provide programs associated with the ship.

Last year the 106-foot-long ship and its massive hull in the shipyard easily were seen from the end of Bay Street.

j.wojtas@theday.com

Twitter: @joewojtas