The Matthew of Bristol

28/08/2026

The Matthew crew is saddened to share that Colin Coombs, a key member of our volunteer crew and a trustee of The Matthew of Bristol for many years, has passed away after a short illness.

Colin will be remembered fondly for his passion for, and devotion to, The Matthew. He loved to share his extensive knowledge of the ship and it's history with our visitors and passengers, not forgetting the many school trips he has led over the years, regaling the children and their teachers with his pirate tales and insights into Tudor navigation and exploration.

Rick Wakeham, captain of The Matthew: "Colin's weird and wonderful ways will be sorely missed by all at The Matthew. He was one of the good guys."

Richard Sandwell, chairman of The Matthew of Bristol Trust: "In many ways he was a true 'fixture' in the operation of the ship over many years as a volunteer and a trustee, and a real asset to everyone connected with The Matthew. A loss to us and all who knew him."

Rest in peace, Colin. You will be missed.

26/08/2026

Arrrrr me hearties! Get 'em whilst they're hot! 🔥

Join us on Wednesday 9th September for a Fish & Chips Trip with our favourite local pirates, .band. They will be joining us on board to entertain you with their raucous sing-along pirate-themed folk-rock songs whilst we are sailing! This is your last chance to see them before our season wraps up in October.

📸 Taken by the band on our last Piratitute trip

🎟️ Head on over to our website to snap up the last few remaining tickets
https://matthew.co.uk/book-tickets

19/08/2026

We've recently received a very kind donation of both the Canadian & Newfoundland flags here at The Matthew.

David noticed our previous flags were looking a little worse for wear whilst he was visiting Bristol and kindly sent these much needed replacement flags all the way from Canada!

We like extend a massive thank you from all the crew and staff to David d'Edtremont for his gift. The flags are proudly flying high at our mooring.

📸 Photo courtesy of our trustee Royston Griffey

06/08/2026

🥳 We're looking forward to heading out on a Cream Tea Cruise at 2pm on Saturday 15 August!

✨ Join us as we take a leisurely cruise around Bristol's historic harbour and enjoy a delicious afternoon tea of fresh sandwiches, scones with clotted cream and jam, cake, and a cup of tea (or coffee).

🎟️ The last few tickets are on sale now and available from https://matthew.co.uk/book-tickets/cream-tea-cruise

Booking for this trip closes at midday on Friday 8 August – don't miss out!

CREAM TEA CRUISE Sail around Bristol's historic Floating Harbour on a relaxing Cream Tea Cruise!Setting off from our Princes Wharf mooring, you’ll enjoy a leisurely sail on this round trip around the harbour between Prince Street Bridge and The Pumphouse/Junction Lock. Your Cream Tea will be serve...

05/08/2026

Ahoy there!

Summer is in full swing, and there's no better time to get out on the water! Whether it's a relaxing trip around Bristol's historic harbour, a memorable cruise down the Avon with family and friends, or the chance to experience Bristol from a whole new perspective, we have plenty of trips planned right up to early October.

✅ Brand new dates have just been released for the ever-popular Avon Gorge Cruise, along with additional Fish & Chips Trips for early autumn, giving even more chances to enjoy these favourite experiences.

✅ If you're looking for something fun to do with the kids during the summer holidays, come on down to the harbourside! We're running twice daily trips from Tuesday to Friday right up until the end of August.

✅ Plus, tickets are on sale for our delicious Cream Tea Cruise in a couple of weeks – the perfect excuse to enjoy a Saturday afternoon on the harbour with a classic treat!

✅ Looking forward to September, we're excited to welcome back our favourite local pirates, Piratitude, who are joining us to entertain you with their raucous sing-along pirate-themed folk-rock songs whilst we are sailing!

🎟️ Head on over to our website and choose your trip!
https://matthew.co.uk/book-tickets

📸: The Matthew sailing on our Harbour Trip today, taken by Sam in the office

24/07/2026

👀 Looking for things to do with the kids over the summer holidays? Why not take a trip on The Matthew around Bristol Harbour!

⛵ We'll be running regular weekday Harbour Trips at 11am and 12pm from next Tuesday (28th July) until the end of August.

🎟️ Tickets are on sale now, so head on over to our website and choose your trip!

https://matthew.co.uk/book-tickets/harbour-trip

27/06/2026

📢 Planning your summer activities? Why not book a trip on The Matthew! We have something for everyone:

✨Avon Gorge Cruises
✨Fish & Chips Trips
✨Harbour Trips

Special events:
✨Cream Tea Cruise
✨Sea Shanty Fish & Chips Trip
✨Fish & Chips with Piratitude

Head on over to our website today for dates and tickets
🎟️ https://matthew.co.uk/book-tickets

24/06/2026

We hope you're keeping cool out there!

📢 We thought today was a good day to give you some of our top tips for enjoying your trip, whatever the weather. We want everyone to enjoy their time on board, so when you come for your trip on The Matthew, here are a couple of things to consider about the conditions on board:

The Matthew is an open, uncovered ship with very little cover or protection from the elements. You will have a much better time on your trip if you are dressed for comfort according to the weather.

🥶 It can feel colder on the ship than it does on the quayside if it's cold and windy.

🥵 It can feel hotter on the ship when it's sunny as you'll be more exposed to the sun when out on the water

Captain's recommendations:

☀ In warm and sunny weather: bring sunscreen, a hat, plenty of water, and an perhaps an umbrella for a bit of shade!

🌧If it's raining: wear a waterproof coat (and trousers, if you have them!), and don't forget your umbrella!

We recommend you cover all eventualities and consider bringing an extra layer, waterproofs, an umbrella, a hat and sun protection on your trip! In the event of rain, we do have large umbrellas that you can use.

Above all, we want to keep you safe when you're on our ship, so please do check the conditions on the day of your trip and prepare accordingly!

20/06/2026

Happy Saturday! We're very excited to be heading out on our first Avon Gorge Cruises in a very long time this weekend - give us a wave if you spot us out on the river!

⛵And in other news, we've just announced more Avon Gorge Cruise dates, plus a summer Sea Shanty Fish & Chips Trip in August.

🎟️Head on over to the website to book your tickets: https://matthew.co.uk/book-tickets

📸:

17/06/2026

Have you subscribed to our newsletter yet??

Newsletter subscribers get early access to trips before we post on socials!

Sign up here so you don't miss out on future announcements: https://matthew.co.uk/newsletter-signup