Winter 2021 Update
Although we're in the middle of lockdown and haven't been able to have any visitors on board for some time now, The Matthew crew and office staff have had plenty to keep us occupied since our last update!
Annual maintenance
The Matthew out of the water on the patent slip at Underfall Yard, Bristol
There wasn't much of a Christmas break for our skipper and volunteer crew as they've been kept busy with the ship's annual maintenance programme.
The Matthew starts every new year with a few weeks of maintenance, both in and out of the water, in preparation for inspections by the Maritime & Coastguard Agency to make sure she’s safe and ready for a busy summer season of trips.
A bit like an MOT for ships...
She was on the slip at Underfall Yard for two weeks at the beginning of January, out of the water so our skipper and crew could reach her normally inaccessible parts! Having had a thorough scrub underneath, a brand-new paint job and a couple of rotten planks replaced, she’s now back at her mooring outside M Shed.
We've created this short video of The Matthew on the slip at Underfall Yard – watch her as she's launched back into the harbour!
With a bit more work to do before her final inspection in a few weeks’ time, our skipper and crew will be continuing to work hard to prepare The Matthew for re-opening to the public in the spring.
Vouchers and trips
As for the office, we had a busy few weeks in the run-up to Christmas with sending out all your gift vouchers! Now, we're in the midst of preparing the ship's schedule for the spring – we should be in a position to announce our first trip dates very soon (COVID-19 restrictions permitting, of course...).
If you want to know when we announce our first dates, do keep up-to-date by subscribing to our newsletter.
That's all for now. Stay safe and we look forward to welcoming you aboard The Matthew very soon.
The Matthew team
