The Matthew
Visitors are greeted and guided around the ship by RSVP West volunteers.
The Matthew of Bristol is a replica of the fifteenth-century caravel in which John Cabot sailed from Bristol to Newfoundland in 1497; she was built to recreate that journey exactly 500 years later.
The present day Matthew was built between 1994 and 1996 and is owned by The Matthew of Bristol Trust.
Our volunteers do anything from guiding to crewing – including cleaning the “heads”! There is also a core of volunteers which helps with the maintenance during the winter months.
The team organises education trips for schools, fish and chip suppers, cream teas and trips along the Avon Gorge. The ship also goes to sea about once a year for several weeks. All our volunteers do at least one “watch” a week and generally we have four volunteers for each watch.
Our volunteers are expected to know the history of how John Cabot discovered “New Founde Land” through to everything the ship does now.
Winners of the 2019 Queen’s Award For Voluntary Service
If you are interested e-mail [email protected]
The Matthew’s own website will tell you more about this remarkable ship.
