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The Kathleen and May
The Kathleen and May was built in 1900 at Ferguson and Baird's yard at Connah's Quay near Chester for Captain John Coppack of Coppack Bros. and Co., the town's leading shipowners. The schooner was launched in April 1900 and named after the Captain's two daughters, the Lizzie May. She was a three-masted topsail schooner of 136 tons gross (99 tons net), with a registered length of 98.4 feet, breadth of 23.2 feet and a hold 10.1 feet deep. She was planked with 3 inch thick seasoned pitch pine, laid on heavy doubled frames of oak and fastened with galvanised bolts. In her first 8 years she sailed nearly 40,000 miles, carrying various cargoes of over 24,000 tons from Oban to the Channel Islands, London and Ireland.
In 1908 she was purchased by Martin J Fleming of Youghal and renamed the Kathleen and May after his daughters. She became part of the owner's fleet of coal ships, trading between the Bristol Channel ports and Youghal and was a familiar and much loved sight in Youghal Harbour for over 20 years.
When the schooner was built all three topsail yards were of almost the same size, but her new owner added a longer lower yard sometime before the First World War. At a later date a martingale was fitted to the bowsprit but this was removed in 1947. The original reefing gear fitted was the early type, in which a small drum was fitted on to the boom adjacent to the mast. A length of chain was coiled on the drum and tackle was secured to the chain when the sail was to be reefed. By hauling on the tackle, the chain was uncoiled off the drum which rotated the boom and so shortened sail. A ratchet lever engaged the cog next to the drum to prevent the sail unwinding from the boom.
The Kathleen and May was sold to Captain Jewell from Appledore in North Devon in 1931. The trip to her new home was to be her last journey under sail alone. On arrival she was given a refit, her topmasts were reduced in height and topsails removed. She was fitted with an 80bhp Beardmore engine.
She continued in the coal trade and was often seen plying her trade around the waters of Youghal. She survived the severe storms of February 1936 (when the Nellie Fleming was lost) and Martin J Fleming made sure that a watch was kept for her along the Waterford and Wexford coast. In 1937 she experienced engine trouble under Youghal's lighthouse, but managed to steer clear of harm. In 1943 her old Beardmore engine was replaced by a second hand 125bhp Deutz. In 1945 William Jewell died and the schooner was left to his son Tommy and she continued trading until 1961.
During 1968, the Kathleen and May was discovered in bad repair by the Duke of Edinburgh and the Maritime Trust in London was started to help preserve her. She was bought by them in 1970. They began restoring her as a typical West Country schooner, as she is a prime example of trading schooners.
In 1998 Steve Clarke from Bideford in Devon bought her, after the Maritime Trust failed to secure a £2 million lottery bid. She was towed back to Bideford and moored at a disused coal wharf where restoration work began.
The schooner was craned out using massive 1000 ton cranes. The stern of the ship was stripped down to the keels and all the 3 inch external planking removed. The exposed frames that did not need replacing were steamed down with 3000 psi of steam in order to kill the fungal spores. After the external work was completed, she was redecked and given a second refit, finishing up with masts and rigging which were stored at Chatham Docks.
Factfile: The Kathleen and May was built in 1900
Hull:
Registered length:98.4 ft, beam 23.2 ft, draught 10.1ft.
Gross tonnage: 136 tons (99 tons net)
Cargo capacity: 226 tons
Masts and spars:
Fore |
Main |
Mizzen |
|
Lower masts |
59.5ft |
60.5ft |
55.5ft |
masts |
31ft |
34ft |
34ft |
Total above deck (less doubling) |
74ft |
78ft |
73ft |
Gaffs |
24.5ft |
23ft |
24ft |
Booms |
24ft |
23ft |
24ft |
Yards |
34ft |
41ft |
48ft |
Bowsprit |
43.5ft (30ft outboard) |
Sails:
Total sail area: 4,550 sq. ft
Fore sail: 697 sq. ft
Main sail: 667 sq. ft
Mizzen sail: 608 sq. ft
Upper fore topsail: 525 sq. ft
Main topsail: 335 sq. ft
Inner jib: 235 sq. ft