A famous ship may not taste water again for a long time.
The Matthew in Bonavista has been brought indoors a month before the end of the tourist season.
Until last Wednesday, the replica of John Cabot’s ship — a major tourist attraction for the town — had been floating at the Legacy Wharf for much of the summer.
The Matthew Legacy Board made the decision to bring the boat inside prematurely to protect it from impending inclement weather.
“The storm (Hurricane Earl) was coming and we were leery of the condition of the ship,” said Debbie Way, site manager of the Matthew Legacy.
“We still have four weeks left with the site being open, and tours (of the Matthew) are still available,” Way added.
Because of the need for substantial repairs, the Matthew may not return to the water for the 2011 tourist season.
“If we don’t get the funding, if we don’t get the repairs done, she won’t be able to leave the building next year — that’s what the board is saying right now,” Way said.
Between now and next season, the Matthew Legacy is continuing to seek funding.
“We need to get the funding early. If we don’t hear in the next few months, we’re going to lose our season because it’s going to take probably seven or eight months to do the work,” Way said.
The Matthew Legacy has been pursuing the federal government to fund $750,000 in necessary repairs for the vessel. These include replacing rotten boards, re-sealing the vessel’s hull and fixing the hydraulic lift system.
In June, the province’s Department of Innovation, Trade and Rural Development provided $10,000 to repair the ship’s ropes.
According to Betty Fitzgerald, mayor of Bonavista, the Matthew generates considerable tourism revenue.
“Last year, $108,000 was made at that site. That paid for salaries, upkeep of the building, the light, the heat,” Fitzgerald told the Packet. “This year, we had 6,500 people go through that site; that’s 500 more than last year, and we’re expecting another 1,000 to 1,500 people to go through before the season’s out.”
Way said that the premature dry docking of the Matthew could negatively impact visits to the Matthew Legacy Wharf.
“There’s still a full month of tourism season left. With the ship in the building, anybody who’s unaware the ship is here could bypass the site and not realize that (the Matthew) is still available.”
The funding requests have prompted debates on whether the ship is worth the investment.
For Mayor Fitzgerald, there is no question of its significance.
“People want to see what the ship is like and hear the story of John Cabot when they come to this town,” Fitzgerald contends, adding that the ship is a piece of national heritage.
“The Matthew is not Bonavista’s ship; it’s not even Newfoundland and Labrador’s ship. It is Canada’s ship.”
rborja@thepacket.ca
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