Kathleen & May
The Kathleen & May, at 109 years old, is the only wooden triple-masted sailing schooner still in existence and is unique among 60 famous tall ships listed on the UK's National Register of Historic Vessels. The schooner was built in 1900 near Chester and was launched as Lizzie May, the names of the daughters of the ship's owner, Captain John Coppack.
In 1908 she was purchased by Martin J Fleming of Youghal and renamed Kathleen & May after his daughters. For the next 20 years she plied between Youghal and the Bristol Channel with coal until eventually ceasing trading in 1961 and was then abandoned.
The Kathleen & May was discovered in 1968 by the Duke of Edinburgh who established the Maritime Trust in London to preserve her. The vessel was in a bad state and it was intended to restore her as the last example of a typical West Country trading schooner.It was however not until 2001 that the restoration was finally completed after her current owners worked faithfully on the project at Bideford, Devon.
After an absence of 47 years, Kathleen & May in 2008 carried a commerial cargo of wine from France to Dublin and this will be repeated on her visit to the Maritime Festival. Wine-tasting opportunities will be available onboard with an admission charge, more info can be found at www.fairwindwine.com
