Historic ship in NYC to return to its birthplace in Germany

The Peking is docked at the South Street Seaport prior to starting its journey to a Staten Island dry dock, Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2016, in New York. The sailing ship that was a tourism fixture in New York City's seaport district since 1974 has left Manhattan for good Wednesday on a journey that will eventually return it to its birthplace in Hamburg, Germany. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan) (The Associated Press)

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The Peking is escorted across New York Harbor by a team of tugboats en route to a dry dock on Staten Island, Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2016, in New York. The four-masted windjammer will eventually return it to its birthplace in Hamburg, Germany. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan) (The Associated Press)

The Peking's figurehead on the bow of the four-masted windjammer is in need of repair, Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2016, in New York. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan) (The Associated Press)

NEW YORK – A historic sailing ship that's been a tourist attraction for 42 years has left New York City's seaport district for good. It will eventually return to its birthplace in Hamburg, Germany.

The Peking departed Wednesday under cloudy skies from a pier at the South Street Seaport Museum. The 377-foot-long vessel was pulled by two barges to a Staten Island dry dock where it will be readied for its trans-Atlantic crossing atop a heavy-lift ship next spring.

Once in Hamburg, the four-masted vessel built in 1911 will undergo a $25 million restoration for a planned maritime museum.

The Peking was one of seven sister nitrate clippers between Europe and South America.

On Sept. 24, another ship — the three-masted Wavertree — returns to the museum following a 16-month, $13 million restoration.

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