Making Bristol's Matthew a ship for everyone
There is a rare chance to see the replica of John Cabot's square-rigged ship in dry dock at Underfall Yard near the Cottage pub off Cumberland Road while work is done on the hull.
The Matthew undergoes two checks about this time of year, one in the water and one in dry dock when the hull is inspected for damage.
The wooden hull has to be completely sanded down and then oiled.
It is a labour of love for skipper Rob Salvidge and volunteers who were sanding the hull as flakes of snow fell around them yesterday.
Rob, 52, who lives on a boat in the harbour, leases the Matthew from the ss Great Britain Trust through Shipshape and Bristol Fashion Ltd, the management and operating company for the unique sailing ship.
He said: "The problem with a ship built in the traditional way is that there is always something that needs doing.
"There is no danger of it falling apart but it is a wooden ship and there is a never-ending list of tasks.
"At some point certain things need to be replaced. A set of sails, for example, costs £30,000.
"To do all the maintenance and really keep it up together costs about £50,000 a year."
To keep afloat, the ship is hired out for film and TV work and for celebrations and corporate parties.
It was used prominently in a recent documentary on the history of the Royal Navy presented by Dan Snow and will feature in a forthcoming programme about how Britain became great through its ships.
Every year the Matthew can be seen at maritime festivals and when it is in the harbour it is regularly visited by school pupils learning about the Tudor period.
Several hundred people visited at the weekend just to see the work being done at Underfall Yard.
Rob said: "It is fortunate that we have got this window. In the last two years, the ship has really suffered from the weather to be honest. Extremes of weather are not good for the ship.
"The volunteers have done an incredible job. There are about 20 volunteers of all ages and a core group of six to eight who carry out the hard graft."
Rob's links with the Matthew go back to before it was built to mark the 500th anniversary of John Cabot's voyage of discovery to Newfoundland in 1497.
His dad Bill was a friend of the shipwright Michael Blackwell but at the time in 1995 Rob was still a radio broadcaster. Over the years his love of sailing grew and he caught the Matthew bug.
While the ship is owned by the ss Great Britain Trust, which manages Bristol's top tourist attraction, it was thought The Matthew, a working vessel, could benefit from its own operational set-up – which is where Rob came in.
His passion for the ship is obvious but passion alone will not keep it shipshape.
He said: "I do think the Matthew is a wonderful icon of Bristol. But it does require a massive amount of work, money and resources.
"We could do with a few more supporters but I do think the city council should support it as well.
"A successful city like Bristol is only successful because of achievements on a lot of levels.
The way it presents its past, its history is an important part of that story.
"What I like about the Matthew is that it's for everybody, whether you live in Knowle or Clifton. Everybody likes to bring their family to see it. You get a real sense of the spirit of adventure that Bristol people connect with.
"I don't want to see it only rented out for posh people's parties."
He stressed: "I am passionate about keeping it for everyone, but that will only happen if the city supports it."
For more information on the Matthew, visit www.matthew.co.uk.
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