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May 9, 1997
(Tourism, Culture and Recreation)


Follow the Matthew on the World-Wide Web

When Giovanni Caboto (John Cabot) departed Bristol, England in 1497 seeking the riches of Cathay, he sailed west into the "Sea of Darkness" and was not heard from again for months. Then he returned from the "new founde lande" with accounts of waters teeming with fish.

On May 2, 1997, the recreated caravel "Matthew" and her crew of 19 also departed Bristol, but friends, family and adventure fans don't have to wait months for an account of the ship's progress and things encountered enroute.

"When the Matthew was constructed by the group known as Bristol 96, every effort was made to re-create the vessel in accordance with standards associated with a 15th century caravel," says Tourism, Culture and Recreation Minister Sandra Kelly. "While the Matthew's lines, sails, and steering mechanisms are true to history, the on-board communications systems have more in common with a space shuttle."

In 1997, interested persons don't have to wait for a return to Bristol on the ship's performance. Nor do they have to wait for the vessel's arrival at Bonavista, Newfoundland, scheduled for June 24th. The ship's progress can be gauged anytime, by anybody, via the internet.

"The Matthew's ship-board communications facilities are state of the art, and are in fact the product of a Newfoundland communications company, Stratos Mobile Networks," Kelly says. "Thanks to Stratos' cutting edge technology, and the computer know-how of Matthew crewmember Luke Porter, the Matthew's progress is entered into a shipboard computer, and can be accessed from anywhere in the world via the Internet."

To track the Matthew voyage on the Internet, enter the address for the Cabot 500 website at www.cabot500.nf.ca, and go to the links section, click on Matthew Project and then Ship's log, and you're in touch with an evolving re-enactment of one of the navigational marvels of marine history. "And there's lots more information on the Cabot celebrations generally on the Cabot 500 website," Kelly said.

"This technology keeps us in tune with this fantastic voyage, and heightens our anticipation even more to greet the crewmembers as the true heroes they are when they arrive at Bonavista on June 24th."

Contact: Doug Burgess, Manager of Communications,(709) 729-1997

1997 05 09 4:55 p.m.

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